Pink Nails and Drinking Games
by KnightedRogue
Summary: College isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when you're there involuntarily. Han and Leia, post ANH. Updated ... yeah, I know! ... September 10th. Chapter 21.
1. One

**Pink Nails and Drinking Games**

**KnightedRogue**

**Chapter One**

* * *

_The purple eye make-up, I can handle. _

_The orange lipstick was distracting, but not terrible._

_But those bright pink, gods-awful nails – _

"Princess?"

Leia Organa quickly raised her eyes from the grotesque pink nails to the strange purple make-up and encountered a pair of bright blue eyes gazing her way. "Yes, Lieutenant Stribur?"

"What else do you wish to know about the geography?" Leia watched as orange lips pressed together, apparently waiting for some answer. _What did she just say?_

"Nothing. Let's move on. Economy, specifically the reliance upon munitions production."

The purple eye makeup focused on her for a minute longer, and then traveled down the row of chairs, halting for a microsecond on – _who else? –_ Captain Han Solo, and proceeding through its entire audience, the orange lips moving beneath as the purple wandered.

_Purple and orange? It's a wonder her uniform isn't red with blinking lights all around it. _Leia sighed to herself as she realized what she was doing. Since Lieutenant Rimmas Stribur had stepped foot inside this base seven days ago, Leia had been appalled by her appearance. The intelligence officer was extremely young, Leia would estimate her to be no more than twenty years old and probably closer to sixteen or seventeen, and seemed to be, by physical standards alone, completely out of her realm.

And yet Leia couldn't help noticing that Stribur explicitly followed protocol, saluted appropriately, and was able to debrief her superiors very easily. _When they pay attention, that is._ She carried herself in an adult manner, could be quite mature. Nothing she did ever made her appear unfit for her position.

But her youthful trends were _really _starting to annoy Leia.

Five days ago, Leia had been collecting signatures for the various runs needed for Supply when she stumbled upon the crew of the _Falcon_, plus one colorful Intel agent, engaged in some kind of drinking game that involved spare hyperdrive parts and a collection of hair ribbons. Whatever it was they were doing, it came to a screeching halt when she arrived. _It wasn't a screeching halt; it was an uncomfortable, awkward halt. _She hadn't known what to do about the situation and had therefore initiated her weapon of choice – sarcasm.

"Hello, children," she had forced a smile. "Are we having fun before naptime?"

Predictably, it was Solo who answered. "Nah, Your Highness-ness, we're gonna skip naptime. You see, getting completely drunk is the goal today, and naps interfere with that."

Muttering some senseless comeback under her breath, she had retreated from the festive atmosphere. She wasn't exactly sure what had suddenly made her feel unbearably uncomfortable with the situation. She supposed it could have been the gaudy green bracelet the walking rainbow was wearing. She was definitely conscious of the very public display the drinking game had become. And she was _absolutely_ certain she was not ruffled by the sight of Solo with another woman.

After three hours alone in her quarters, Leia had finally concluded that it was not simply bracelets or gawking pilots or even the thought of – _whatever_. It was her.

Leia was uncomfortable with the idea of youth.

She knew what it was, of course. Youth was an age glorified, the perfect symbol of vitality and carelessness. It was laughter and colorful makeup and idiotic drinking games. But Leia Organa, last surviving member of the Alderaanian Ruling House, skipped it somewhere along the line. She watched it through a window into a holofilm of actors pretending to experience it. That was as close as she was able to come. _Because the Princess is a lady; courageous and strong; incapable of feeling emotion; inhuman._

_Inhuman._

That was how Leia had felt at that moment in the hanger, datapad in hand, collecting signatures as a responsibility to the highly illegal and traitorous organization she had joined at the age of eighteen. She watched Solo and the orange/purple combo play the childish drinking game she assumed they had invented. She had witnessed this youthful display from both an adolescent and a thirty-something year old man: had seen, with her own eyes, what youth meant.

And had felt no inclination to join.

She had flown through a lifetime of inner battles and outward dangers without pausing to consider the consequences. Etiquette by eight, university by fourteen, Senate by seventeen, Imperial traitor and wanted criminal by eighteen. She had traveled the galaxy, had fought for her beliefs, killed for her sense of justice. She had been courted by royalty, presented to the Emperor himself, had owned her own quarters in the Senate wing of Imperial Palace. Experiences and accomplishments and honors that Solo and the underage Intel agent would never have.

And yet it all felt so useless now in an existence of ration bars, X-wing engine grease, and common soldier uniform. And bureaucratic nonsense, like inane meetings day and night –

_Damn._

" – other than the University of Itets-Enuzore, which is located on the other side of the capital city. Any questions?" Stribur was stretching her blue gaze around the table, anchoring onto Leia's as she concluded her presentation.

"No, I think we have all the information we could possibly need, Lieutenant. Thank you for you thoroughness." Leia stood up and addressed the men and women surrounding the table. "This mission is scheduled to leave here by 0600 hours tomorrow. From there, Captain Solo will transport Lieutenant Stribur and me to Itets-Enuzore, then land and berth until I have met with the ammunitions boards and they have deliberated our proposal. Lieutenant Stribur will be resuming her post as a sleeper agent on Itets-Enuzore and begin her first term at the University. Once the proposal is either signed or rejected, Captain Solo will escort me back to base. Are the mission parameters clear?"

At the silent chorus of nods, Leia began to gather up her documents and tried to ease her way through the conference room into the hall without attracting too much attention. She had made it to the hallway outside the conference room door before she was hailed down. Turning around slowly, Leia called on every string of patience she had ever had to paste a diplomatic smile on her face. _Can anything more go wrong?_

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

The adolescent bowed her head. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Your Highness, but I was just – "

Leia sighed. "Leia."

Stribur looked confused. "Ma'am?"

_Ma'am?_ _Are you serious?_ Keeping her incredulity off her face, Leia nodded. "My name is Leia. What were you wondering?"

"Right, ah, Leia. You just looked a bit, I mean, you looked – "

Leia was still pondering what Stribur was trying to say when she noticed the lanky form of Captain Hans Solo amble up their way. Before she could register what she was doing, Leia's legs were propelling her down the hallway the opposite way from the Corellian. Immediately, Stribur turned and walked after her. "Ma'am?"

_Stop it! _"I have so much to do, yet, Lieutenant. Could you please hurry? I'm – "

"Hey, Your Worshipfulness! What're you running away from?"

_You. _Cringing visibly, Leia about faced and stuck a finger in Solo's chest. "Stop it." She jerked the finger in Stribur's general direction. "Both of you. Listen, I don't have time for your _stupid_ name-calling games or _your - _" _What has she _ever _done to me?_ " – your _green _bracelets and_pink _nails." _Great job, Organa. That was brilliantly idiotic._ "Leave me alone. I don't want to see either of you until 0600. If I do, I will personally kill both of you myself with the rustiest piece of scrap metal I can find. Got it?"

The silence seemed to last forever. Solo stood still looking at her with a tilt to his head as if he thought she might explode. Stribur's mouth was gaping and Leia thought she might actually be able to hear the gossip columns begin to run. Disgusted with herself more than with them, she turned away and began speeding back towards her office.

As she left, she thought she heard Han inquire about hair ribbons and almost screamed out loud.

* * *

All right, gang. Whadd'ya think?

KR


	2. Two

**GreatOne: **Of course I'm posting here! Here you go!

**Owphoenix: **Okay - here's more!

**SoloKenobi:** Well, the mission itself doesn't really begin until the next chap, but I need a bridge, I think. Anyway, here's the next one!

**Summers2004: **Oh, Leia's in trouble, alright. Thanks!

**RivendellWriter: **Thanks!

**Dm1: **And I enjoy writing them! Hey, it works both ways!

**Vegemite: **Leia's thoughts will always be in italics, her speech in normal font. I understand, the last couple o' paragraphs of the first chapter were a bit confusing.

**Thanks everyone!**

_

* * *

_

_This is my lowest__ – _chair in front of the hatch – _I can't possibly__ – _chair next to the hatch _– __get any lower_ – in front of the hatch – _it's_ _absolutely__ – _next to the hatch _– __pathetic__ – _in front of the hatch –

Leia sighed and closed both her eyes, imagining what would happen should any of her four companions enter the spare cabin and see her sitting on the floor, opening one eye at a time in order to see the chair jump in front of, and away from, the hatch.

_They'd think I'm insane. _

_They'd be__right._

She was insane for hiding in her office during any sort of social activity on base, for sleeping in that same office most nights after her exhaustion finally took over. She ate far less than she knew she should, was living her life day to day in the hope that it might improve in that illustrious "future." And though she knew what she was doing was not productive at all, she could see no way to change.

And so Leia had treated this situation on the flight to Itets-Enuzore as she would her daily life: she hid. Sequestered in one of the spare cabins onboard the _Falcon_, she had tried to ignore the other members of the party. Solo and Chewbacca were fairly easy to disregard – neither had tried to approach her yet – but she was having difficulty persuading Lieutenant Rimmas Stribur and Commander Luke Skywalker to keep her self-ordained solitude intact. Both had attempted to converse with her through the hatch numerous times during the last four hours, to no avail. She had edged off Luke by saying she was reading documentation regarding the Itets-Enuzore delegation.

Stribur was not so easily assuaged.

And as Leia heard a polite knock resound at the hatch, she knew that she had yet another battle with the colorized, underage spy on her hands.

"Princess? Your Highness, I know – "

Leia sighed and leaned against the bunk, shuffling her feet on the floor and making crinkling noises with the bedclothes behind her. "I'm quite busy, Lieutenant. Would you mind coming back later?" _Like five minutes before we land?_

"Um, no, Princess. Look, I really want to talk to you, and, ah, I know what you're doing in there. Please, open the door?"

Leia seriously considered carrying her blaster with her as she stood up and walked the few steps toward the hatch. _I would then be socially inept, malnourished_ and _guilty of murder. That would be a fascinating career move. _She slapped the hatch panel and leaned against the frame as she set her face in the diplomatic mask she had perfected.

"Lieutenant, I don't know why you insist – "

"Princess, I'm a political science major."

Leia stared.

"And, um, I thought you could, you know, help me."

Leia blinked.

"With, ah, this practice interview thing, and – "

Leia blinked again.

"- it's not a big thing, but I was wondering if, you know, you would mind an interview. Maybe?"

Leia shook her head to clear out the thousands of little questions she had. "Wait, wait. What are you saying? You've been bothering me this entire time because you want an _interview_?"

Stribur had the sense to look slightly abashed. "Well, I, ah, thought it would be a good idea."

"You do know that you couldn't turn it in, right?" _And next on today's holonews, university student uncovered as an Alliance agent when interview with well-known war criminal is turned in to professor . . ._"It would expose me _and_ you."

"Of course I know that. I was just wanting to practice on you. Interviewing skills and your views on stuff."

_Like you couldn't find any of that on the Senate records._ "You won't turn it in?"

"No."

"And it's not really an assignment?"

She shook her head. "No, it is, but it's not something I would do on, well, you, and I only know about it because I talked to the prof first, and I would _really_ like to try it out before class, you know, actually starts."

"I'm target practice, then?"

Stribur laughed quietly. "As long as I don't actually kill you, yes."

Leia looked around. _This is insane! _She nodded and stepped away from the hatch to allow Stribur to enter the cabin. Leia tapped the hatch control pad again and the door hissed shut as she turned and walked over to the bed. Extending her arm, she invited the Intel agent to sit on the bed as she herself did.

When both were settled, Stribur logged onto her datapad. "I guess we should just start, huh?"

"That would probably be prudent." _I still hate her. Really, I do._ "What's your first question?"

"Well, ah, my first question deals with your stance on the Galactic Civil War." She looked down at her datapad. "Umm, I don't think that's a very good question for you though." _No, really?_ "Lemme skip that one. Er, here's one that works. How does your political stance on said Civil War reflect the politics of your homeworld?"

"It doesn't." _End the topic. Pick a new one._

"How so?"

_Because it doesn't exist anymore?_ "Alderaan's ideology, expressed within the culture and politics, is largely pacifistic." _Was pacifistic. Use the correct tense._ "The Rebellion on Alderaan was an ideological dispute. It wasn't until Mon Mothma and Garm Bel Iblis made the military steps that my father and I consented."

"And the people approved or disapproved?"

"On the whole they approved in a distant sort of way. Alderaanians had little actual experience in warfare outside of intellectual understandings of it, and therefore couldn't logically say they approved or disapproved." _Enough about me._ "What about you? Where are you from?"

Stribur looked confused. "This is _your_ interview. I don't talk."

_Gotcha. Something you don't want to share. _"So, be unorthodox. Where are you from, Lieutenant?"

"Itets-Enuzore."

"Really?" _Interesting._ "When did you become part of the Alliance?"

"Two years ago. A year before Yavin."

_And the question of the hour._ "How old were you?"

Stribur hesitated, disengaged her eyes from Leia's and blushed slightly. "Too young."

_You and me both._ "How young?"

"Wasn't I interviewing _you_? How old were you?"

Leia raised and eyebrow. "Will you tell if I do?"

Stribur nodded. "'Course."

Leia sighed. "I was elected to the Senate when I was seventeen. Joined the Rebellion at eighteen." _And so - _

"Me too. I mean, I joined the Alliance at seventeen, not the Senate."

_Nineteen? She's nineteen?_ "Do you ever regret it?"

"Um, no. Not really. I mean, I enlisted a few months after my dad died, and it all kinda just happened." She paused. "I guess I'm glad I did it. I'm fighting for what I believe in. But being Intel and still stuck on the same planet – that's hard. And hiding everything is, too."

"How've you kept it a secret?"

"I stay pretty far away from people, try to tell myself that everyone's the enemy. That I'm always, you know, in someone's blaster sight. And coming to base on vacations from school, that helps. Reminds me what's _really_ going on."

"How will that change once you're at the University?"

"It'll be harder. Keeping something from a roommate, that'll suck." She glanced at the bedclothes on the bunk. "But I can do it. I'm like an expert at this by now." She smiled guardedly.

Leia smiled back. "I would say so. Two years? That's enough time to master anything."

"Yeah."

Leia nodded and dropped her eyes for a minute. She raised her eyes back to Stribur a few tense moments later. "Lieutenant, you look like you need something to eat. Go ask Commander Skywalker where the edible food is. I'm sure there's something you can have. Take your mind away from life for awhile."

"Yeah, I think so, too." She stood up, dusted her pants off, and walked to the hatch.

And stopped.

"Hey, what did you - ? How - ? How did you _do_ that?"

Leia looked up innocently. "Do what?"

Stribur blinked and her mouth gaped open. "I was interviewing you, and asked one question, and you, you – " She stopped and smiled. "Senate by seventeen, huh?"

Leia raised an eyebrow at the young agent. "Learning to dodge unwanted questions is a key part of politics. You'll learn."

Stribur nodded and opened her mouth again. When no words came out, Leia was able to guess what it was the agent wanted to ask. In an unprecedented display of openness, Leia answered her unasked question.

"Same as you. Nineteen, as of three months ago."

With a slight nod, Leia dismissed her and Stribur left the room, leaving Leia with a self-satisfied smile as she sat down on the floor and resumed watching the chair jump in front of the hatch.

* * *

"Submit Review" is the thing to do, now . . . ;)

KR


	3. Three

"Wow."

Han Solo's jaw had dropped so far that the word actually sounded like "Uuowh," but Leia knew exactly to what he was referring. She shifted her stance a little and smiled at him flirtatiously. The smile merely made his eyes bug out of his head and his jaw to drop another two centimeters.

Clearly dazed, Solo tried to collect his senses. "Uh, wha – "

"Doesn't she look _amazing_?" A hand came up to Leia's shoulder and squeezed gently. "I swear she looks _exactly_ like Nemdek Ilucon. Don't you think so?"

"Uh, yeah, um, right." The captain seemed to be having difficulties connecting his brain to his mouth. _Then again, that connection has never worked before, anyway._ Leia was fully enjoying the effect she was having on him. And while feeling decidedly ridiculous and idiotic, she also reveled in the sense of being gawked. _Princesses don't get lustful stares. We get marriage proposals from uninteresting princes. _And Leia couldn't hide from herself that she found the change exhilarating.

Leia was completely transformed. Following the interview incident, Rimmas Stribur had invited herself into Leia's cabin again, this time when Leia was actually accomplishing something productive. She was going through an assortment of clothes she had brought, trying to create a safe disguise in which to leave the _Falcon_. She needed a persona that was different from her own, but not absolutely ridiculous.

And while she was rummaging through dresses and Alliance uniforms, Stribur had brought out her own bag.

"Lemme try to make you look your age, Princess," she had said.

_Is this really what I would be wearing if I didn't have fatigues? _She was modestly dressed, which Leia found incongruous to the whole ensemble, but Stribur had waved off her objections.

"You wouldn't feel comfortable anyways. Plus it's sometimes fun to let their imaginations run wild. " Stribur had winked, and Leia had blushed. _Imaginations?_

And so Leia was dressed in black. A lacy fitted top that ran down the lengths of her arms to hang over her hands in a slightly flared sleeve and a neckline that stayed protectively, but not unstylishly, close to her neck. A pair of tight pants, holding close to the skin at her thighs that flared out slightly just below the knee and ended over a pair of stiletto-heeled boots. _At least I'm trained to handle high-heeled shoes._ She felt covered and safe, but mysteriously alluring.

The rest made her feel decidedly uncomfortable. Her skin had been left at it's natural color, but sharp contrasting powder had darkened up her cheekbones almost to the point of comic effect. Her eyes had received the most attention they ever had. Dark eyeliner had been applied both on her top and bottom lids and eye shadow had been used in plethora quantities of brown and gold and red.

Stribur called her eyes sultry. Leia had called them spice-user dark.

And the last part – the last part had been the most difficult to do because it had been permanent. Or relatively. Vibrant red streaks, beginning at her part and fading out at her shoulders, rained down and contrasted insanely with her dark hair. Stribur had left it down, but curled, so that it looked like a living thing freed. The color wouldn't ever wash out, Stribur had hesitatingly warned, but a similar color to her hair could be found. After re-dying it, the red wouldn't show up at all.

So Leia Organa, Princess of the lost world Alderaan, respectable and loyal Senator and High Council member of the Rebel Alliance stepped out into the hold of the i_Falcon_/i to the startled expression of Han Solo. It was worth every uncomfortable element of her disguise.

"Captain. We're landing?" She almost laughed at his expression.

"Yeah. Right." With one more astonished look, Solo turned and walked toward the cockpit, muttering to himself.

Stribur glanced at Leia. "Wow. A speechless Han Solo."

Leia looked back at her curiously.

"You've done the impossible, Princess."

Leia laughed quietly. "_You_ did it, Lieutenant."

Stribur shook her head and reciprocated Leia's laughter. "No, your Highness, that was all you."

* * *

_Idiot!_ Leia shifted her image reflector to the left as she walked, pretending to be checking her hair as she watched the man actively trailing her. _What are you, some Intel rookie?_ Chastising herself while trying to shake the man behind her, Leia ducked into a market stall, hoping to lose him in a crowd.

Pushing past a wall of tall, muscular women – _I didn't know human females were _able _to reach that height_ – she took a fast right and busied herself with a pair of wildly obnoxious red earrings as she eyed the entrance out of her peripheral vision. _Yep, there he comes._ Turning slowly, earrings in hand, Leia motioned for the nearest salesrep and inquired as to the price, keeping a close eye on the entrance.

"Ten hun – you! What are you doing?"

Knowing exactly to whom the rep was referring, Leia launched herself into the back room of the stall. Seeing an escape, she rushed the back door and began to mingle into the crowd. She glanced down at her hands and scowled at the annoying red earrings._Great. Traitorous war criminal, about two thousand counts of first degree murder, and now petty theft. What other illegal activities can I add to the list today?_

She sighed.

It had already been a very trying day. Leaving the _Falcon_, a set of Stridur's blinding clothes folded away in the knapsack at her shoulder, Leia had felt decently comfortable with the upcoming events. She was to arrive at the rendezvous within the hour, negotiate with the Corporate Board of GansCorp the rest of today and spilling into tomorrow, and leave on the _Falcon_ when she was finished, approved arms agreement or no. Han and Luke were on comm support there, prepared to lift off the minute she showed up on the platform.

_That's obviously not going to happen._

She first had seen her trail about ten minutes ago, leaning against a wall in front of her and then conspicuously leaving it after she'd gone past. She'd been trying to lose him since, and had been incapable of it. _And I'm not out of place._ She was dressed much the same way as many of her companions in the marketplace, presumably here to register for the University. _So this _is _what I would be wearing if I wasn't in fatigues._ She concluded that her pursuit had been waiting for her, had known of her mission before she had arrived onworld. That meant that the mission was compromised. That meant she possibly was already identified. That meant they probably had the _Falcon_ under surveillance.

That meant she had nowhere to go.

Rushing through the marketplace, she ran towards the one other area, besides the marketplace, that she could find a large group of people her own age. A place to hide.

_Assuming that he's not stupid, he won't make a scene._

Leia held onto this logic, hoping she wasn't already identified as herself and put immediately on the death-hit list. _He hasn't shot me yet. Guess that's a good sign._ She sighed and subconsciously swept her right hand against her thigh, where her blaster usually sat. _Idiotic move. No blaster. No way to defend – _

"Ow!" She turned sharply at the jab at her left elbow.

"Oh, damn. I'm so sorry, I'm, uh, gods, sorry. Are you hurt?" The nauseating girl in purple and orange flashed a hand onto Leia's left shoulder. Leia shook her head and turned away from the sight, afraid that she'd begin to laugh in the girl's face.

_Can't do that. Can't break cover._

Leia glanced around herself and decided that this was perhaps not the best plan she'd ever had. She had decided that safety in numbers, no matter how revoltingly dressed, was appealing in order to slip away from unwanted trailers. She had quickly followed a large group of girls to the University and their registration lines, watching her pursuit avidly as he continued to follow her. Hoping to blend into the young crowd of incoming students at registration, Leia had ducked into the center line and pretended not to act too awkward.

_Problem is, pursuit is not as dumb as I had hoped._

He was mingling in the back, watching her as she stood in line. She took that to mean he hadn't actually discovered her identity, was waiting for her to back down and show herself as not a student. Which probably meant that the _Falcon _was also being watched but had not been identified. Leia felt beads of sweat accumulate on her forehead and glanced around the pool of young people surrounding her. _Great. This is just wonderful._ Feeling an idea formulate, Leia grabbed her comlink and switched it to the _Falcon's _frequency.

"Mum? Dad, are you there? I''m'a in line at school." _And if you know what's good for you, you'll check the location on the comm._

"Copy, Worship. We've got you – "

Leia forced a girlish giggle and fought her annoyance at her callsign. "Jace, stop it! Get my parents on. Are they there?"

Leia almost sighed in frustration when Han's voice returned a few moments later. "Negative, Worship. What the hell are you – "

"Jace, I got somethin' important to tell 'em. Could ya give Mum a message for me? Tell 'er that I saw your neighbors looking in the house again, eh?" She paused for a second, heard shuffling and a slight raising of voices over the other end. "Hey, Jace! Guess who I just saw? Jemmy, from Olsen Twelve. Remember her? She's the one that went to Nivay a year ago, broke her arm in the fight with her boyfriend? 'member 'er?"

_Yavin. Nivay. Think Yavin, Han. _She paused, hoping – _praying_ – Han would understand what she was trying to tell him. Leia held her breath as more deliberation was audible.

"Hey, ah Rims, you see anyone else there? I'd kinda like to know who ya gonna be with over there for awhile."

_Rims. Rimmas. Stribur's first name. And he wants me to stay put for the time being._ "Nah, no one else. Just Jemmy."

"Cool. Look, I'll look out for anyone else over here, a'right? Quiet, seems like, huh?"

"Lotta people 'round 'ere, Jace. I would keep an eye out, 'kay?"

She felt extreme relief when he answered immediately, obviously catching on to her drift. "Yeah, okay. Hey, call me when ya're in ya room, hey? Lemme know how the roommate is? If ya see Jemmy anytime soon?"

_Call when I'm away from the trail, if I see anyone else._ "You betcha. I'll see ya later, Jace."

She heard a slight waver enter Han's voice. "Hey'a, Rims, don't eat a buncha crap down there, eh? Try to take care'a yourself?"

_Interesting. Are you concerned, Captain?_ "Yep. See'ya."

"See'ya."

She broke the connection and pocketed the comm. _So much for a short weekend here._

* * *

And Reviewers shall be praised henceforth forever and ever and ever . . .

KR


	4. Four

**Chapter Four**

* * *

"Name."

Leia didn't find it insulting that he didn't look up when he referred to her. She was able to disregard his generally bored voice. She could probably forget that she couldn't see his face behind that awful stack of papers. Registration Paper-Pusher Number Three just irked Leia to no extent because of his complete inability to solve her problems.

"Look here. I just need to get my ID." _I guess that's what I need._ "I've gone to the guys upstairs and they told me to head to the guys down there. Those guys told me to go here. So give me my ID and I'll leave you alone."

"Name."

Leia felt like screaming. _I'm an expert bureaucrat. I have been my entire life, trained to be such since before I actually understood what it meant. _

_And even I could learn a thing or two from these registration procedures._

"Name."

_Like how to properly kill myself by banging my head against a wall._

"Stribur, Rimmas."

"Stribur is your first name?" A head wafted out of the stack of papers to peer at Leia.

"No. My last. My name is Rimmas Stribur."

"Then why did you tell me your name was Stribur Rimmas?"

_If I had my blaster . . . _"You misunderstood. My name is Rimmas Stribur."

"Which is it?"

"Rimmas Stribur."

"Your first name is Rimmas?"

_For the love of__ - _"Yes."

"And your last name is Stribur?"

She grounded her teeth together. "Yes. Rimmas Stribur."

"Okay, first name Rimmas, last name Stribur, what is your date of birth?"

_Hey, looking up her Alliance file turned out to be a _good _thingafter all._"Yem, tenth day."

"Yem, tenth day. What year?"

"3024."

"So your date of birth is Yem, tenth day, year 3024?"

_You've got to be kidding me! _"Yes."

"You are an incoming new student?"

"Well, this _is_ new student registration, right?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Sarcasm is not necessary, Ms., ah – "

"Rimmas Stribur!"

"Right. Ms. Stribur. Are you an incoming new student?"

_Until I get incarcerated for murder . . . _"Yes."

"Alright. Please continue on to your right to the next table."

"What?! What exactly do you _do_ here?"

"I process."

"All I need is my ID."

"And you will receive it at the table to your right. Name." He called to the young, pecked face of the boy behind her.

Leia followed a ridiculous set of red arrows on her right to a table identical to the one she had just left. A young man who sat behind a stack of papers that obscured her view of his face seemed to be the authority.

"Name."

"What the hell is the matter with you people? All I want is my stupid ID!"

"Name."

She sighed. "Rimmas Stribur."

"Rimmas is your _last_ name?"

* * *

Grasping the ID that had taken her three hours to obtain, Leia processed completely and was currently standing in a group of nearly thirty new, bubbling, and bubbly, students. She glanced around, attempting to find her pursuit in the myriad assortment of students, children and parents teeming around the registration building.

"Hey'a. What'cha name?"

Leia turned around to find a blonde girl gazing at her face from a few feet away.

"Uh, Rimmas. Rimmas Stribur."

She smacked something inside her mouth noisily. "Huh. Hey, Stri. Name's Nigaeh Ttem. Plez'ta meet'cha."

Leia nodded. "Likewise."

Nigaeh looked her up and down. "Hey, Sweetheart, don' need t' act all smart yet. No professa's 'round."

'_Likewise' is considered smart? _"Uh, yeah. Sorry." _Let's dumb down the intellect a few thousand points, huh, Organa? _"Uh, where are you from?"

"I, uh, I'm'a from Kuurbdneb. Where's you?"

"Uh, here. I'm from here."

"Yeah? 'sboring, if'a ya ask me." She nodded toward the other groups. "All of 'em. Goin' ta be all excited for stuff ta happen, ya know."

Leia continued her perusal of the groups. She answered distractedly. "Uh, yeah. Sure." She didn't see the man that had been following her, but she didn't feel comfortable leaving yet, either. _I have to figure out a way to contact the corporation heads._

" – don't'cha think?"

Leia shook her head and tried to remember what the annoying girl next to her had been saying. "Um, no."

"No?" Nigaeh looked puzzled. "Then why?"

_Great._ "Uh, because of my family." _I hope she just shuts up._

"Ya family? Ya don't wanna eat 'cause 'a ya family?"

_Actually . . . _"Yeah. Um. I don't eat on this day 'cause of them."

"Oh." She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

_Stop, stop, STOP! _"I don't want to talk about it." Leia turned her back to the blonde and hoped that the tours would stop and the mission begin.

* * *

"So, here's where ya're gonna live, Rimsie." _Rimsie?_ "It's called Ycem. All girl." The leader nudged Leia with her elbow. "Though, with ya face, I doubt ya room gonna stay all girl fa long, eh?"

_I have no idea what you just said, and I have the impression that I'm supposed to._ "Uh, yeah."

"S'right, girl." She chuckled to herself. "Next ta it, and attach'd through a tunnel unda-ground, is Nuttas," another elbow to the ribs, "all guy. And next ta that is Nusbuh, also all girl. Ya're in room 1203, twelfth floor. Good thing ya ain't got much stuff, eh?" She looked down at Leia's one travel pack and then back to her datapad. "Oh, I get it. Ya sent ya stuff ahead, eh?"

_I swear, you get that elbow anywhere near me again and it's coming off._ "Yeah."

"'kay. Have a good year, eh?" And without any direction or help at all, the leader left. Leia sighed, desperately hoping she didn't have to stay here long, and began the climb up twelve stories of stairs.

* * *

La, dee, da, dee, da.

KR


	5. Five

**Summer2004: **All these people are based off of people _I _know from my current college experiences. I hope they continue to be realistic for you! Thanks for reading!

**Limelight: **Oh, drinking games (and a frat party) are definitely in the plans. Oh, and, before I forget, dear, I must annoyingly request another update to NQLL. I'm assuming to hate to hear that, but, hey, it's just _that_ good! Thanks!

**HerHighness33: **Wow! Not only do I get reviewed by the infamous LL, but I get a comparison to NQLL? Wow! Thanks!

**Padawan Sydney Bristow: **Evil Leia is always fun to write! And, btw, your name is brilliant - I'm assuming you're as glued to ABC on Wednesdays around nine o'clock as I am?

**Noway: **They say it's the best times of our lives, but, really, it doesn't feel like it right now! ;) Thanks!

* * *

"Hi, I'm Rimmas."

An incoherant mumble.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't catch that."

"Mmmph."

"Uh, I guess we're roommates."

"Hurghmn."

"Right, okay."

Leia turned away from the girl and rolled her eyes. _This is who Stribur is supposed to live with?_ She glanced back over her shoulder. _At least she won't be annoying and loud._

The girl turned towards her bed, smoothing out covers and pillows methodically. Her thick brown hair was pulled back into a low braid, wisps coming off and giving her a type of uncontrolled halo. Her hairline ended abruptly and long bangs obscured her face, ending in a pair of stale gray eyes. She was wearing no makeup and her clothes were decidedly unfashionable, by whatever standards the color-freaks had determined.

She was plain.

And clearly antisocial.

_Good luck, Stribur._

_"_Oh, Ivoen! Sweetheart! I can't believe you're actually leaving!"

_And the ensemble is complete with an overprotective mother._

The woman had rushed through the door, arms laden with clothes and music disks. Big, fat tears were rolling down the woman's incredibly expansive face, paving wet trails through the skin-colored makeup, about two shades too dark, that completely covered her face and neck. The woman dumped her load and moved to embrace the girl. Huge sobs wracked the two as the mother overpowered her daughter.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I can't – "_sniff_ " – help myself. It's so dreadfully awful, doing this to my only – "_sniff_ " – daughter, and – " she released the girl and glanced around the room to the spot where Leia had stood, transfixed by the utter insanity of the display. _Oh, no. No, no, no__ – _

"Oh! Ivoen! Your roommate is here!" She took out a large piece of synthifabric and dabbed at her tear trails. "What's your name, dear?"

_If I tell you, can I leave?_ "Rimmas Stribur."

"Oh, what an interesting name. Where are you from, darling?"

"Here. IE."

"Oh, well, good for you! My name is Elaep Sorreh, but you may call me 'Mom.'" _Right, like that's going to happen._ "And _this_ – " her hand extended to encompass the annoyed girl next to her " – is Ivoen Sorreh. Say hello, sweetheart."

Leia could imagine the squeak she heard from the girl sounded remotely like a greeting.

"Oh, you two are just perfect for one another. I can tell! When _I_ went to university, oh, several years ago, never mind how many, my roommate and I were _exactly_ like the two of you! You'll have so much fun! Honestly, I – "

"Mother."

"Right. Okay, dears, I'll be on my way. I'm sorry, sweetheart, that Daddy wasn't able to make it. He sends his love. Oh, baby, I'll miss you so – "

"Mother."

"Right, dear. Okay, I'm off. Any questions, you can comm me. Anytime, anywhere, you know the – "

"_Mother!"_

"Alright. Goodbye, dears. I will see you in two weeks, sweetheart."

And with a loud sob and a flagging of the synthifabric, the portly woman left the room and closed the door behind her.

"Sorry," the girl mumbled. "She's a bit out of hand sometimes."

Leia grinned. "No problem."

"Uh, my name is Ivoen. It's good to meet you."

"Likewise." Leia cringed. _Act like an idiot. Act like an idiot._

"So you're semi-intelligent, too?" Leia looked up sharply. "Has anyone here tried to tell you you're a genius because you have a decent grasp of language?"

"You, too?"

"Some girl tried to tell me that I shouldn't impress anyone on the first day." She gave a soft, shy smile. "I said the word 'hypothesis,' and she assumed I was some kind of scientific mastermind."

"Right."

"What was your name?"

Leia smiled. "Rimmas Stribur. Call me Rims."

Ivoen nodded softly. "It's good to see some basic intelligence, Rims."

Leia's smile turned into a grin. "Likewise."

* * *

"Hey, babe. Do'ya believe 'n love a' firs' sight or do I need ta walk by again?" The overtanned, underbrained idiot was leaning so close to Leia that she had the strongest desire to strangle him with his ridiculous orange coat on the spot.

She smiled sweetly. "Actually, I'd love it if you walked away."

"Hey'a, don' get all mean 'n stuff." He walked away, obviously a bit hurt by Leia's lack of amorous attention.

Leia turned back to Ivoen, a frustrated sigh at her lips. "So, what're we eating?"

Ivoen looked down at her plate. "I guess it's supposed to be edible."

Leia laughed. "Why'd you get it if you don't like it?"

"There's nothing else to eat. And you weren't here yet, so I just went and got food. I've been sitting here for ten minutes trying to gather enough courage to eat what I took."

Leia looked guiltily away. She'd left with Ivoen to go to dinner at the common mess, but she'd jumped away in a crowd to comm Luke and Han and assure them that she hadn't seen her trail since she'd last commed. Han/Jace had encouraged her, in broken Basic, to stay at the University; he was unsure that leaving at that point would accomplish anything and could possibly harm the ammunitions deal. Leia was quickly becoming impatient with the entire situation – she wanted to close the deal and leave IE as soon as was humanly possible. But she couldn't leave with a pursuit possibly informed of her identity; the corporations wanted the deal to be done as quietly as could be accomplished, and having a known war criminal spotted entering their backdoors would do nothing for them in the eyes of their Imperial customers. _Not to mention we aren't sure exactly how much a presence the Imps are on this world._ She had yet to see actual stormtroopers, but that didn't mean they weren't here.

Leia looked back around at her surroundings. The mess was a cavernous hall with a high ceiling and seemingly endless durasteel walls, giving the entire place a metallic feel. _Which is of course so desired in a place of gestation and consumption._ There was a long line of food placed along the walls, set on an attached bar that rotated every half an hour. The walls had shafts in them, and droids opened the mini hatches every few minutes to replace dishes that had been finished. The walls were sorted by galactic geography: a section was laid out of the Rim worlds, mid-Rim worlds, Galactic Core, etc, allowing all species and types of students a meal choice that resembled what they would normally see at home.

Leia excused herself from Ivoen and ambled through the crowds to search for something to eat. There was no Alderaanian section – _don't think, keep going, keep going_ – but she had developed somewhat a taste for any moderate cuisine during her time with the Senate. Finding herself a plate of Ithorian greens, Leia filled a glass with water, grabbed a Coruscanti breadcake and sat down beside Ivoen.

Living with the Rebel Alliance for the past year had taught Leia to appreciate what little actual food she received. The soldiers on base often went on a completely rationbar diet, the Alliance High Council unable to properly import fresh food without alerting the Empire to their location. And Leia, as a member of that Rebellion, hardly ever touched anything besides those rationbars.

So it was with great delight that Leia consumed the greens, bread and fresh water. And it obviously was quite apparent to her companion as well.

"Don't you ever eat at home?"

Leia was startled to realize that Ivoen was critically eyeing her enthusiasm. "Um, well, I haven't eaten all day, and I, ah, just haven't had breadcake for awhile."

"Breadcake? Where's that from?"

"It's from Coruscant – look, over there, the Inner Rim section. I've always loved Coruscanti breadcake."

Leia looked up from her plate of greens to a puzzled expression. "I thought you said you were from IE."

A pause.

_Brilliant work, Organa._

"I am, but there's this market next to where I grew up that always sold breadcake. My mom would buy it on special occasions." _Don't ask questions. Just accept my lie and be done with it._

Another pause, then a satisfied expression on Ivoen's face. "Oh. Did you get it often?"

"Um, no. My mom died when I was six." _That's what her file said, right?_

Ivoen's plain face slipped into a sympathetic look. "Hey, look. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to – "

"No. No problem. It happened a long time ago."

Ivoen hastily went on with the conversation, appearing to be uncomfortable with that train of thought. "So, you live with your father, then?"

"Uh, well, actually, he was killed two years ago." _At least in Stribur's story._

"Oh. Umm." She looked ridiculously twitchy. "How did that happen?"

_I was being tortured when Vader and Tarkin decided to destroy my planet? _"Officially, he was killed in a speeder accident." _How much more should I say?_

Ivoen was fascinated. "And unofficially?"

Leia dropped her voice. "He was killed by the Empire for a project he hadn't completed on time." _Sorry, Stribur. She's persistent._ "He was a contractor, an architect. He was building some sort of structure, I never knew what it was." She paused for dramatic effect. "Whatever. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What do your parents do?"

Ivoen's face lost the glittering fascination it had had. "My mom's sole purpose in life is to annoy my father and I. She's exceptional, I must say. A regular genius in the area of nutcases." She sighed. "And my dad works at this power company downtown."

_Interesting__ – _

She steeled her voice. "Power company?"

"Yeah. GansCorp." _You've got to be kidding me!_ "He's chief financial manager for their production line, sits on the board and everything."

_What!_

"Anyways, it's all boring stuff anyway. He's always discussing some stupid contract or another. I never really pay attention."

_What!_

Leia nodded in acquiescence. _My roommate's father is on the board of a company with whom I'm trying to deal._

_I have a chance._

_I can make this work._

_Ivoen Sorreh, you are going to become my best friend._

* * *

Insert amusing comment to loyal readers here ;) Reviews are much appreciated, as always!

KR


	6. Six

**SaberGirls: **Yep, chapter six is here! And thanks for all the reviews! Means a lot, you know!

**Limelight: **Four-hundred reviews to one story? You betcha you're infamous!

**Summer2004:**Han's not the only one witha lucky streak, of course. Here, I updated!

**Trout: **Now, _this_ story doesn't have anything to do with the French Revolution, eh? Thanks!

* * *

Leia woke up the next day five minutes before Ivoen's alarm went off, a skill she'd picked up somewhere in her past year with the Rebellion. She crawled out of the bed, about a half a meter shorter than her normal bunk back at base, and glanced at Ivoen, who was still sleeping soundly in her own bed. Padding to her closet, Leia glanced at Stribur's colorful ensemble of outfits that had been sent ahead of her. _Convenient that she did that. I have a wide assortment of awful clothing from which to choose._ Sighing, Leia grabbed a mess of colors and threw it on her miniature bed. She then grabbed a white towel and moved towards the communal refresher station, opening her door silently and glancing around the empty hallway. _At least something's going my way._ Leia padded barefoot down the corridor to the door and pushed through it.

Into the sights of a dozen busily primping girls.

_Oh, fantastic._

She nodded quietly to a few of the girls and pushed through until she got to the refresher stalls. She looked at the hatches to the six 'freshers. Various items littered the floor next to each door, signaling the stall was in use. _Towel. Towel. Towel. Shoes on the ouside. Towel. Underwear? _Leia did a double take. _There is apparently a reason my father had the professors come to _me.

Obviously all six were occupied. Leia leaned against the wall and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally the sixth door opened and a tall blonde retrieved her underwear from the floor. She smiled gloriously at Leia and winked, slid away from the stall and collected herself near the mirror, already jam-packed with tall blondes.

Leia sighed, shook her head and entered the refresher stall. Immediately, the perfumed smell of flowery soap and various hair products assaulted her. She bent double and coughed, hacking away the powerful fragrance out of her system, feeling as though she might be sick with the heavy, heady, sweet smell. _That's ridiculous. No one should wear that much perfume. _

Leia decided that holding her breath was an entirely viable option. Waving back the fumes from her face, she entered the 'fresher and gripped the controls. Unintentionally turning it on, Leia's breath caught in her throat as she choked back another scream. The unexpected water – _I set it to sonic, didn't I? _– rained down on her, and at such a low temperature as to freeze the ditz's brain that had preceded her in the refresher. _Turn in off, turn it off! _She groped for the controls, unable to see because of the water stinging her eyes and coughing maniacally from the perfume fumes again. Blind and asphyxiated, Leia managed to switch the controls to sonic.

Feeling strangely averted to any more time spent in the stall, Leia's 'fresher was finished in record time. Drying herself off with her towel and redressing in her fatigues and tank top, Leia quickly left the room, avoiding eye contact with the laughing girls, and hurriedly made her way back to her room.

* * *

"So, Rimsie, d'ya got a guy?"

Leia almost spit up the mouthful of Coruscanti flatmeat she was previously enjoying. "What?"

"C'mon, ya can tell us, y'know." The girl Leia distantly remembered as a floormate batted her eyelashes innocently and nodded to the other three girls at the table. "We don't tell no one, swear to gods."

Leia wiped her mouth on an offered napkin. Her mind flew through an assortment of possible answers to the questions, each of them a blatant lie. _A guy? _She inwardly laughed. _No one wants the Ice Princess, children._ She shook her head. "No. No guy."

The lead idiot leaned in closer and displayed a dazzling set of teeth. "No way girl like you's missing out, eh? Hey, figure us in."

_Did you not understand the words that I said? Let me dumb it down for you._ "No, I mean it. I don't have a 'guy.'"

A second bimbo chipped in. "I bet he's older, huh, Rimsie?"

"No."

Girl Number Three threw her opinion into the bag. "Uh-huh. Older. He's gotta be, like, twenty-five, or somethin'."

"No!"

"Ooh! Thirty?!"

"No! No!"

The group all sat back simultaneously in horror. "Eew! Forty? Nuh-uh, no way. That's so sick!" The lead one seemed to have choked on her own shock.

And Leia realized that unless she got herself out of this predicament, there was no way she could feasibly incorporate herself into the college-student life. Unsure of how long her detention would be, and incapable of requesting back-up, her life might possibly be forfeit, up for grabs by the Empire. She shuddered. _I can't be captured. I can't go through that again. _Assimilation was the logical and pragmatic next step. _Right? _She shut down that dissenting part of her brain. _I have to get the munitions contract. _There was no way she could do that as an Imperial captive. And in order to keep herself hidden, she had to act the part, had to pretend to be _normal_, average.

Not a princess.

Not privately educated.

Not single.

She turned away from that last thought. _Not everyone here has a boyfriend. I don't have to be committed._ But the prospect was ingrained in her mind at this point. A relationship with an unknown other outside of the university would allow her to call the _Falcon_ more regularly, disguised as some sort of romantic tele-rendevous. She might be able to distance herself from others without appearing to alienate herself. She could logically fend off the insane come-ons and ridiculous lines without too much trouble.

The more she thought about it, the more it appeared to make sense.

_Okay. A boyfriend. I have a boyfriend._

"Alright, if you guys _promise_ not to tell anyone – "

Girl Number Four put a hand to her heart. "Oh, we _totally_ promise, right, girls?"

Leia took a deep breath. "'Kay, his name's Jace – "

"So he really is _forty_?"

Leia shook her head. _I need to be inconspicuous. _"No, he's, uh – " _What's a good age? Who would I feel comfortable with?_

_Well, there's always – _

_No._

_But maybe – _

_No._

_C'mon. He'd never hear about it. _

_No!_

_He'd never know._

_He'd never know?_ _What? What wouldn't he know? That I think about – _

_Stop!_

_And his eyes – _

_Umm – _

_And that smile – _

"Twenty-nine. He's twenty-nine."

The girls leaned in closer. "Ooh! Twenty-nine!" The leader was speaking again. "Is he, like, sweet and nice?"

_Depends if he's picking a fight with me or not. _"At times, yeah, I guess so."

"And cute?" The group all giggled.

_If you only knew – _"Yeah, he's, um, pretty tall. Dark hair. Kinda built strong, good arms, I guess – "

"Ooh! What else?"

Leia was losing track of who was shooting off the questions. She thought that last had been from Lunatic Number Three. "Yeah, he's got these great eyes." _Watch it, Organa. _"They change colors depending on his mood. And he has this wonderful smile – you don't see it much, but when you do . . . " She trailed off, and for once the quartet let her think before they began again. "But the best part is this scar he has – "

* * *

Leia's legs trembled as she crawled onto her very, _very_ short bed and stared at the ceiling. Two hours. She had been discussing her nonexistent love life for two hours in as much detail as the group had requested. _And they requested too much. _She had regaled fictional stories of romantic getaways and sweet gestures, surprises she sometimes – _no, never_ – fantasized including her – _egotistical mercenary_ – friend._ It was too easy. _That was the frightening part of this charade. Somewhere in her tale, Leia had crossed her own line.

_I put up that line to protect myself. _

It was a situation she had hoped to avoid, throwing sarcasm and denial into her dealings with the incorrigible smuggler as much to scare him away as to protect her own somewhat fragile psychological composition. She had made a very conscious decision a year ago to ignore that tingling in her stomach when she saw him from far away.

And the occasional daydreams.

And the comforting presence his friendship sometimes allowed.

These were dangerous symptoms to an illness that would eventually strike her dead from the inside. Better to contain it than let it ravage her sanity. It had worked perfectly well thus far. She just needed to pretend the man she had described to her floormates was as fictional as the stories and tales. _If only it were so easy – _

Leia jumped up and smacked her right foot against the footboard of her bed in her shock as a loud piercing wail erupted in the room. _The comm. _Nursing her throbbing foot, she hopped up and slowly made progress to the desk, where she had stashed her comlink. She flipped it on and casually drawled out a greeting.

"Hey."

Han's deep voice issued from the comm. "Hey'a Rims. Thought you'd like to know 'bout these friends of yours. Jemmy's friends, the ones we ran into on Nivay, 'member?"

Leia nodded. "Yeah?"

"Turns out some of 'em came here for the same reason you did. They didn't catch ya at registration, but they're tryin' to hook up wit' you later. Have ya seen 'em?"

Her heart started to beat irregularly as she glanced toward the plastisteel window on the far side of her room. "Nope. Haven't seen 'em. Did they give ya a time ta meet or somethin'?"

"Nah, I haven't actually talked ta 'em. Kiel and I heard 'em talking at the dress shop, but we couldn't stay fo' too long. We got a call from the housesitter. He said that we had unexpected company, you know?"

"Any old friends, Jace?"

"Yeah, real old friends. Turns out Jemmy's dad's here, too. I think he was picking up some black shirts. That's what it looked like, 'tleast. They were real long, too. Looked kinda like a cape, or somethin'."

_Oh, please, no. _She forced a light, playful tone. "Hey, don't kid, Jace. Are ya serious?"

"'Course. I don't kid 'bout stuff like that."

"Jemmy's dad doesn't usually wear black. Do'ya know what else he might be lookin' for?"

"Dunno."

"Hey, has Jemmy told his dad that I'm here? I'd really like to see 'em before he leaves."

"I'm not sure, Sweetheart. Ya might wanna watch out for him, though. I guess he's hangin' a lot round the college. Ya could run into him, if ya lucky."

_Lucky?_ "Yeah, I'll do that. Hey, ya'll let me know if somethin' else comes up 'bout Jemmy an' his dad?"

"Yeah. 'kay. Hey, ya know, you could come back home for a bit. I'm sure we can find Jemmy together, huh?"

_If only it were that simple, Han. _"Ah, no. Can't. Gotta get ready for classes and that big deal project that I got."

"'ts what I thought. Okay, talk ta ya later, eh?"

"You betcha."

As she shifted the comm back into the drawer and moved slowly and heartlessly back to the bed, Leia found her foot had ended its miserable torture.

_Well, yeah. Compared to Darth Vader here on Itets-Enuzore, my foot is the least of my problems._

* * *

PS: I hate Pegatha and Toya. Please review!

KR


	7. Seven

**Edgar: **Communal bathrooms are nice . . . until people start stealing your facewash and leaving your wet clothes on the washer . . . ;)

**Limelight: **No, I don't think Leia's trained for this at all ;) Thanks!

**Summers2004: **Well, here's to a (hopefully) better day for you! Thanks!

* * *

An image of dark capes and round torture droids haunted Leia's sleep that night, penetrating her rest as thoroughly as a knife. She first relived the Death Star torture sessions,in partmemory but mostly triggered by irrational fears and a clouded haze that surrounded her physical body and mental capacity both. Her movements were sluggish, unable to resist the drugs as they raced through a system untouched by such commanding and conquering influences. Her eyes felt milky, as if they were melting from within her sockets, her limbs beyond control or movement, her mouth as if her lips had been squeezed together by duracrete blocks.

She couldn't scream. Couldn't run. Couldn't breathe.

The feeling was greatly exaggerated in the dream, Leia's conscious mind argued. She had always been able to breathe.

Suddenly her perspective shifted, and in front of her stood a ball of forest and lake, of sunsets and peace, of home. The ball grew in significance to her: an emblem for her dreams, her desires, her future. Her parents, one alive, one lost, so encompassed in the ball that it glowed and shone as it never had in actuality. A ball wrapped in her brain so firmly it sometimes hurt merely to hear its name spoken.

Leia jerked awake, right foot slamming into the bedpost with an onrush of pain. She hardly felt it. _A dream._ She wiped a hand across a sweat-ridden forehead, brushed back strings of moist hair, and then placed the hand on her stomach, which was rolling and tumbling in an inexhaustible tirade of nerves. Her limbs were shaking, her eyes full of tears that pummeled down the sides of her nose.

Closing her eyes, Leia turned over onto her side and slowed her breathing down to an acceptable rate. _It's a dream, just a dream. _She sighed._ And a familiar one at that. _

_Calm._

_Peace._

_Tranquility._

_Revenge._

_They will someday pay._

Slightly comforted, she lapsed into periods hesitatingly termed sleep between dreams of torture and home. Both as chilling as the other.

* * *

"How did you sleep, Rims?"

Leia looked up from her toast and nodded carefully to Ivoen, who had ventured the first bit of conversation all morning. "Okay, I guess. I still hate that bed."

Her roommate nodded and chuckled. "I don't know how they expect us to lay out on those things." The smile shifted slightly and her forehead creased. "Seriously, though, how did you sleep?"

Leia cautiously looked up and studied the girl across from her. "I'm fine. Why?"

"Uh, well, you seemed restless last night. I don't know." She paused for a second, then smiled enthusiastically at Leia. "Nothing."

_What? _Leia wanted to scream to her. _What did I say or do? What do you know? _"What are your classes today?"

"I have three. Sector History, some stupid introduction class to Political Science" She grimaced. "I _hate_ that crap. It's awful. And, uh, I have Human Psych."

Leia nodded distractedly. _What names did I give? Who did I compromise? Stribur? Myself? _"I have that class with you, right? What time?"

Ivoen checked her datapad. "Uh, three-sixteen." She paused. "Three-_sixteen_? Why sixteen? Why not a normal time, like at the hour or the half?"

_What about Solo? Luke? _"I don't know. It's kind of ridiculous, though, really." _The base? Other sleeper agents within the system? _"Well, I guess I'll see you at three-_sixteen_ then. No earlier. No later."

Ivoen smiled. "Good luck today."

Leia nodded. "Yeah, you, too."

_You're gonna need it . . . _

* * *

"We find ourselves at a crossroads of immense importance in the history of public opinion and politics. Now, more than ever, _this_ class is vitally valuable to become a person of knowledge and understanding in our galaxy. Do you support the Emperor or the Rebellion? Freedom or chaos? Military or civil liberties? Who was Grand Moff Tarkin? Who is Mon Mothma? What is Lord Vader's _real _position within the Empire? Where exactly is Leia Organa in the galaxy now?"

_I'm in the top four at least. _While she was somewhat surprised at the stunning introduction Professor Nusirreh-Duil had presented for her, herself a relic and exceptional player of this particular series of events, she was able to find the humor of the situation.

_I'm discussion material in a university contemporary concerns class. _She smirked. _I'm moving up in the universe. Even Solo'd be impressed with that one._

"You."

Leia lifted her eyes to gaze at another pair, aimed directly at herself with an expression of annoyance and superiority. "What?"

"Can you answer the question?" His eyes narrowed menacingly.

_College student. Annoying, precocious, flippant. _"Sure, if you give it to me again." _That wasn't too bad, huh?_

"The Treaty of Silloesriv ended what military engagement?"

"Rew Dlruw I." The second the name was out of her mouth, she knew she had made a critical error. _Are you _trying _to screw this up for yourself? Why can't you just be stupid and get over yourself?_

Professor Nusorreh-Duil blinked at her answer. _C'mon, I'm just a punk kid. Ignore me._

Leia had no such luck. "What is your name?"

_Dammit._ "Rimmas Stribur."

He took a breath. "Ms. Stribur, you are quite right." _Thank the gods for a professor without an ego complex. _"I do wish to inquire as to why you know the answer before we've covered it here in class."

_College student. Be a college student. _"I had a good teacher in prep school."

He paused and looked her over with a critical eye. Seeming to decide she was nothing out the ordinary, Nusorreh-Duil continued on his lecture. "As Ms. Stribur has shared with us, several historical events have brought us to where we are now. Where would the Emperor be now without the fated Naboo-Trade Federation War? How is it possible to – "

* * *

"Chemistry is the singly most fascinating subject in the galaxy." Professor Noelribmehc paused as if he expected an agreeing rally to occur right then and there. "We of course do not expect to reach a great deal of subject matter during this term. We understand you are not as, erm, _stimulated_ by the basic structure of the universe as we are." He paused again. "But nothing can prevent you from having a basic understanding of it." He squeaked rapidly and coughed into his lab jacket sleeve. _Was that a laugh?_ "You are indeed in the right place, ladies and – " another cough " – gentlemen. And I feel that the first step in your new _love affair _with the elements is an introduction to them."

Flinging his decayed and spotted hand upwards, Noelribmehc brought attention to the enormous chart above his head. At dimensions rivaling, in Leia's mind, the Death Star, the chart of symbols and numbers brightened as small lights lit.

"This, ladies and – " cough " – gentleman, is what science fans like you and I call the Periodic Table of the Elements." He touched a switch and the lights in the forum muted significantly. "As you see, we have approximately four thousand and eighteen known elements, although about ninety-seven percent of these can only be manufactured in a laboratory, and only for the briefest of moments." He grinned toothily, the yellowed view giving Leia the sudden inclination to retch. "Our basic understanding of the element comes from a basic understanding of the _atom_, which has progressed significantly – " cough " – from our knowledge of it only a thousand years ago. Back then, we based our theories on the movements of _electrons_ and idiotically were fascinated by such a simplistic model, termed _Quantum Mechanics,_ an idea that hindered us intellectually for _centuries_ . . . "

* * *

"I don't care about you. Or your grades. Or my job. I'm tenured. You couldn't fire me even if you wanted to."

The class sat back in abject discomfort. Leia hid a grin. _This guy is channeling Jan Dodonna, I'm sure of it._

"This is general human psychology. For all you idiots who have decided that there are other things more interesting than the working of the human psyche." He snorted. "Hopeless artists and socially-inept scientists that you are. We'll start next class with some basic terms and people to know; crap like the schools of thought. Behavioral, psychodynamic, sociocultural, cognitive, you get the idea. People, the big ones: Dairf, Rinnoks, Vulvep and his nerfs. Come back, know them."

There was silence as he unfolded his coat and put it on. Eventually, one tentative hand rose.

"Yes?" The Dodonna-clone sounded annoyed.

"Um, Sir, uh, are you leaving?"

"Yeah, I am. You have a problem with that?"

The Bothan who raised his hand squirmed back into his seat. "No," he squeaked out.

"Good. This class is over; I have a lunch with my wife in about ten minutes. Enjoy the early release, I usually keep you about ten minutes later than scheduled." He headed toward the door, stopped right before he slapped the control. "Oh, by the way, my name's Lingni. Welcome to whatever hell you believe in." And with a swift wink, he left the stunned room.

"Well." Leia turned towards Ivoen, who looked like she'd just been chosen Palpatine's concubine. "That was fun."

Ivoen nodded, her lips parted and a ragged breath leaving her.

Leia laughed. "C'mon. Let's get something to eat." And with a swift glance around, a quick assurance that no black-suited, masked terror stood behind her, she grabbed Ivoen's arm and began to drag her towards the door.

* * *

Amusing coincidence number 5829: Last night I put on my roommate's pink nailpolish and only now realized the amusing elements of that. (Note to self, take the pink off . . . )

KR


	8. Eight

**Chapter 8:**

"I really think Lingni is the most awful thing I've ever experienced in my life."

_Obviously, you've never tasted Alliance ration bars. _"He's not _that_ bad."

Ivoen looked up from her desk. "Do you have someone worse?"

"No, not really."

"Then I'd say he's bad enough." She sighed and shuffled through the syllabi disks she'd received earlier that day. "Have you checked out how much _reading_ we have to do?"

"No, I haven't even looked at those things yet."

"Well, we didn't get a syllabi from Lingni, so I don't know anything about him except what he told us to know. But for Sector History, it's like the prof thinks we've got nothing to do besides read up on stupid kings and politicians. It's nearly sixty pages of preparation a night! And don't even get me started on PoliSci."

_Now, wait a second. _"What's so bad about political science?"

Ivoen stood up from her desk, grabbed a rusty chair and sat in it backwards. "Okay, I'm really not trying to insult you here, Rims, but I _hate_ your major. It's like paying to be taught how to lie effectively for a living. How can you even consider going into politics?"

"Hang on, is that what you think politicians do all day?"

"What, you mean, lie?"

"Yeah."

Ivoen tilted her head. "Isn't it?"

"No! Think of how much more you can do if you're in politics for the common people of your jurisdiction! You can improve their lives significantly and help end social problems on a large scale. You could end tyranny and homelessness and hunger, or discrimination between species and social classes. You could – "

"Okay, look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stick the podium under you or anything and I didn't mean to insult you in any way. It just came out." She paused. "I'm becoming more and more like my father every day."

_Yes, let's discuss your father, dear. _"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he has this ability to insult you without openly insulting you in a way that seems completely uninsulting, until you think about it later and realize exactly how it was he insulted you uninsultingly."

"I think you made up two new words, Ivoen."

She smiled. "He does that, too. Says strange words that I'm sure he makes up on the spot. Anyway, my point in all this is that he doesn't like politics."

_Oh, now, this is interesting. _"Really?"

"Yeah, he says that it's all the same as long as the politicians stay away from the economy."

_As in, your father may have a slight sympathy towards the Rebellion to usurp the current one that's seriously interfering?_

"Oh, yeah, Rims, I forgot to tell you, my parents want me to come back home this weekend to pick up some of the stuff that I left there." She grimaced. "They're making another office out of my bedroom. Why do parents do that? Don't they know it's demeaning and belittling?"

"I don't know."_And I don'thave that issue to worry about, either._

"Anyway, they want to meet you and talk to you face to face. Do you mind going with me this weekend?"

_Hmm, free opportunity to talk to a board member of GansCorp? _"No, no, I don't mind at all."

* * *

"So, Rimsie," the redhead chattered at her in a high-pitched, nasal voice, "I heard you got a guy."

"No, no, Okkon, she didn' _get _a guy, she already _had _a guy. He's like twenty-nine and has this totally awesome smile. She said so herself." A blonde Leia vaguely remembered as part of the boyfriend conversation reached across and grabbed her right hand. "She's _so_ in love with him, its nuts. She's gonna marry 'im."

Leia shrugged off the hand. "_What?"_

Okkon sighed. "Oh, Rimsie, that's brilliant!"

"No! No, wait, I never said – "

" – a ring?"

"No, seriously, guys, I don't think – "

"How about a summer wedding – "

"Look, it's not _that_ serious yet, and I've only known him for like – "_Well, I've known Han for a year, but – _"six months, we're not gonna get married."

"Never?"

_Um, well – _"I don't know!"

The blonde waved her hands around and laughed, throwing her head back. "That's okay 'cause we still need to meet 'im. Right, Okkon?"

The redhead nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yeah! We can't give away one 'a our girls without knowing the guy, first." A twinkle came to her eyes. "You know wha' would be fun? Introducin' 'im at the party. He could meet, like, everyone!"

The blonde shook her head. "No, see, he's a hometown guy, Rimsie said. Too far away."

_Please just get me out of this! _"Yeah, too bad. He wouldn't be able to make it."

Okkon's face fell. "Sucks, Rimsie. It woulda been fun to see 'im. Wait – " The glimmer reappeared. "Aren't you from here? IE?"

_Damn. _"Yeah?"

"Well, he's close. Call 'im, why don't'cha?"

"No, he's working. I don't wanna bother him." _Drop it, drop it, drop it!_

"Oh, he'd _love _to come to one of these parties, I betcha. _Everyone _does."

_There is no way in – _"Well, uh, he's not really into – "

The blonde looked up sharply. "You're making lots 'a excuses, Rimsie. Did'ja lie before? Do you _really_ have a guy?"

_Uh-oh. Damage control. _"Yeah, I got a guy."

"Then why not show us? Hmm, Rimsie?" Her eyes narrowed. "Hey, Okkon, maybe she has a guy but he's real ugly."

It was out before Leia could control it. "He is not!" She scrambled to put a cap on the surge of defensiveness that swept through her. "He's not." She repeated more quietly. "And I have a guy."

Okkon reached into Leia's bag and pulled out her comm. "Call 'im."

"What? Right now?"

"Why not?" The blonde winked at her. "Jus' to make sure that you're not lying, that's all."

_How can I get away from this? _Leia slowly cued the comm to the _Falcon's_ relatively safe line to buy herself some more time. _I managed to slip Han Solo's grip for a year and I can't do the same here?_ She finished cuing and started fiddling with her hair. _He's going to know what I've said about him, and he's never going to let me live it down._

_If I don't die of mortification, this may someday seem real hilarious._

Han's deep voice rumbled from the comm. "Hey'a sweetheart."

_Way to begin, Han._ "Hi, Jace. I'm standin' here in the dorm an' got two girls who're invitin' you to a party – " She covered the squelch and addressed the blonde and redhead. "What party are we talkin' about?"

Okkon smiled. "Oh, Edbmel Eppek Ehple's got a great one goin' down tonight for the start 'a the term. He can come, can't he?"

Leia hid a grimace. _I know how that's going to go down. _"Hey'a, Jace, there's a frat party tonight. The girls really wanna meet my – " _Please, please don't say anything_ – boyfriend, so you're invited."

"Huh."

_Oh, gods. _

"You sure you don' want me t' get your brother? I bet he'd be willin' to go wit you."

She stared at the girls as they shook their heads and batted their eyes. "No, uh, Jace, they really wanna see you." _And Luke and I couldn't convince anyone that we're siblings._

"Well, uh, yeah, I'll be there. I guess. Uh, what time?"

Leia looked over at the girls again.

"Party starts at eleven, so have 'im come by here at, like, ten. Okay?" Blonde looked for confirmation to Red, to which Okkon gave a squeal of laughter and covered her mouth with her hand. "Yeah, ten. Tell 'im."

"'kay, Jace, uh, come over here at ten, alright?"

"'course, Sweetheart, I wouldn' miss this for the world."

And as the comm clicked silent and the girls giggled away, Leia felt the strongest desire to choke herself with the comm and end the torture she knew this evening would include.

* * *

So, a frat party. I'm off to write a frat party. See y'all later.

KR


	9. Nine

**Trinity Day: **Wow, you reviewed every chapter! Thank you so much!

**Matt: **Umm, that would be in Peace with the Dead. Lol.

**Owphoenix: **_Animal House _is part of the inspiration for this post!

**Padawan Sydney Bristow: **That concept is enough to scare anyone, methinks. Thanks!

**SuP3r G1R: **Here you go! You can know what happens!

**Prudence-Chan: **Are you kidding? Han _belongs_ in this situation!

**Mirax Myra Terrik: **I'm glad you think it's amusing! I aim to please!

**SoloKenobi: **Thanks!

**Pitdroid: **I hope this meets expectations . . . gulp. Lol.

**dm1: **Oh, lovey-dovey is such a relative term, lol. We'll see!

**Summers2004: **I hope this amuses! I'm biting my nails!

**Dimonah Tralon: **Thanks for reviewing! Hope this is good for you!

**Okay. Here we go. I'm incredibly nervous to whip out this baby. I've been stewing over this frat party for two weeks now and am absolutely going out of my mind hoping it meets expectations!**

**Without further ado . . . **

* * *

**2230 GST  
The Dorm Room  
0 drinks consumed.**

"Oh, hey, Rims, I think he's finally here."

Ivoen's bored voice wafted out from behind the datapad covering the better part of her face and Leia furiously attacked the red streaks in her hair in an effort to defy gravity. She took another three looks at the small vanity mirror on her desk before concluding that hair was not meant to flip out in any manner whatsoever and that she looked even more ridiculous than she ever had before.

_Well, everyone looks like a blind idiot in clothes like this. I can't help it._

And a loud knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and reminded her that this wasn't some completely insane dream. _Gods, how I wish it was – _

She pressed her hands down the tight contours of the orange skirt she wore, adjusted her blue tank-top, then walked over to the door and watched as the door whisked up.

Han Solo, captain of the fastest ship in the Rebel fleet, companion to Wookiees and naïve Jedi-in-training, stood in front of her.

In a purple shirt and orange slithering hat.

She wasn't sure how she knew that the shirt was supposed to be purple – the color altered with every slight movement he made – but it was obvious to her that he'd spent time reconnoitering the local dress-shops in an effort to look as utterly ridiculous as he could manage. Either that, or he already owned the ensemble, a far more frightening concept than she thought she could handle at the moment. His hair was hidden by the orange _thing_ on his head, but his eyes glittered mischievously under the visor and the half-grin slipped up one side of his face.

"Hey'a, Sweetheart," she heard him say through her personal fog, "what'cha got planned for tonight, dressed like that?"

She just stared at him as he strolled past her and walked into her room. She turned in time to see him inspect a drawer full of Rim's underwear, nod agreeably, and continue towards the bed. The sight of him lounging there, wearing the dizzyingly purple-ish shirt with the straggly orange hat and the infuriating grin plastered onto his face was enough. She began to laugh, trembling so hard at released nervousness and tension that she had to double over.

"Rims?" She heard Ivoen ask quietly as she gained control of herself.

Leia quickly reigned in her amusement. "Yeah, sorry. Jace, this is Ivoen Sorreh, my roommate. Ivoen, this is Jace, my, uh, boyfriend."

Ivoen turned towards Han. "Jacen?"

"Nope, just Jace." Han grinned wider. "Why, d' I look like a Jacen?"

"Huh? No. Oh, no. I knew a Jacen, really smart, kind of quiet. Big philosophizer." She smirked. "You are _not _a Jacen."

"Oh, well, thanks."

_Time to enter the fold. Play the girlfriend. _"Oh, c'mon, Jace. You're not all that smart."

His pout almost looked real. "Says who?"

"Says me. Remember the time you bet Wedge you could put on all my clothes faster than him?"

He practically beamed."Hey, that was research."

"Research, right." She turned to her roommate. "You sure you don't want to come?"

Ivoen shook her head. "Nah, I have my own research to do. Comparing data card texts and prices. They charge _way_ too much here. Have fun."

Leia nodded. As Solo and she closed the door and entered the hall, he offered his hand and raised an eyebrow.

_He's playing this for all it's worth. _Grudgingly, she took his hand, whispering curses under her breath, and they walked down the hall, down the stairs, and down to the Edbmel Eppek Ehple building. _Just don't expect any lip action from me, Solo._

* * *

**2245  
Ebdmel Eppel Ehple house  
0 drinks consumed.**

Still hand in hand, Leia led Han up the sidewalk towards the Ebdmel Eppek Ehple house, a four story ramshackle construction with a garish green exterior and three male students standing on boxes in the front yard singing.

Loudly.

And not particularly well, either.

Han cracked a smile, looked pointedly at Leia, and ushered her past the frat boys and through the open door. Spreading a hand over the scene within, Han welcomed her to what she thought surely must be the most ridiculous sight in her life.

_Ridiculous is an understatement._

Crammed into a room that seemed hardly capable of holding more than thirty people were nearly seventy, mingling, talking, wandering about aimlessly. A loud thumping of music rang out in the background, cacophonic to her ears, and she was distressingly able to feel the bass in her chest. Moving her eyes around the room, she found two rustic cleaning droids in the corner, powered down with arms extended to encompass two giant vats full of ice and containers of cheap alcohol. _That's a creative use of maid droids, I must say. _Couches littered the spaces not inhabited by dancing people, and these were crowded with catatonic figures, stretched out, some on top of one another, passed out and nearly lifeless. Corners seemed delegated to – _well._ Leia blushed and looked away. _I'll be ignoring those particular activities tonight. _She glanced up covertly at Han. _You try anything, and I swear I'll –_

"Rimsie!"

Two tittering and tipsily traipsing figures appeared in her visage, and Leia was not at all surprised to see Okkon and her blonde friend as they pushed their way through the crowd to stand less than six inches away from her and Han. _Just when I thought this couldn't get any worse – _

"Rimsie, isn' this great?" Leia could taste the dull smell of two-credit eyeblasters on Okkon's breath. "It's way awesomer than anythin' else in this damn stupid place." She hiccupped and turned her gaze towards Han. "Yuh mus' be Jace, eh?"

Han extended a hand. "Yeah. Who're you?"

"M'name's Okkon." She sucked in a breath and her gaze seemed to wander for a second. "She likes t'talk 'bout ya."

_Oh, crap. _"Hey, Okkon, let's get you to a couch, huh?" She moved to grab the redhead's elbow. _Just shut up, you stupid idiot!_

"Now, wait a sec, huh, Rims." Han stopped her hand with his own and grinned as he turned towards Okkon. "What she say 'bout me?"

_Now would be an excellent time for you to pass out, my dear. _Waving the alcohol around and sloshing some onto herself and the blonde, Okkon continued and Leia pressed a hand to her forehead in an attempt to block it all out. "Jus' girlfrien' stuff, ya know." She switched her gaze to Leia. "Hey'a Rimsie, you're right. He's _real_ gorgeous. And that scar, oh, that's one sexy, sexy scar, man, jus' like you said – "

"Okkon!" Leia's blush increased tenfold as she interrupted the intoxicated girl before she said any more. "Um, I thought you said the party started at ten?"

Okkon's eyes were still on Han. "Uh-huh."

"Then why's everyone already – " _Does social delicacy even exist in a situation like this?_

Obviously sensing an important shift in the conversation, Okkon reluctantly switched her gaze to Leia. "Drunk?" She giggled and the blonde girl beside her began to make loud, gasping noises as she reciprocated the laugh. "Well, see, turns out Nib got the stuff early an' we didn' want no one else to get into it, you know?" She managed a sorrowful face. "Sorry, Rims."

"No, it's okay. Really."

"Ya probably wanna 'member tonight anyways, right?" She tried to wink, one eyelid closing down, but the lid stayed there as run-off makeup stuck her eyelash to her skin and she ambled off, clutching at her eye and tripping over her own feet in her drunken haste to find a mirror. Or another drink. Whichever one came first.

_Don't face him, ignore him, he probably wasn't even really listening to her – _"Jace, do you really want to stay here?" Leia turned towards Han who stood completely still, one hand at his chin. "Jace?"

"You like my scar, huh?"

* * *

**2315 GST  
EEE living room  
0.75 drinks consumed.**

"You're gonna have to drink more than that, sweetheart." Han pushed another container at her elbow as he downed the rest of his. He lowered his voice. "Be inconspicuous."

"I'm _trying_."

He laughed quietly. "Standing around the edges like an Imperial Moff on inspection rounds is _not_ inconspicuous."

She turned towards him to look directly in his eyes. "Look, Solo," she whispered the name. "I don't want to be here anymore. I _hate_ this. I hate these people. I hate this lifestyle. I hate this stupid drink." She jabbed at him with the hand not encumbered by 'Dab's Fire-eater Beverage'. "So don't tell me what or what not to do. Clear?"

"Perfectly." He rubbed at his chest where she'd poked him. "Though you might wanna watch that thing. You can't ogle a scar on my chest without a more, uh, _exclusive_ viewing."

"Drop it," she growled.

"I _can't _drop it. You like my scar. You called it _sexy _behind my back. I'm flattered, Princess. Really, I am." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I have some other ones that you might find just as interesting – "

She grimaced as her face grew hot again. "It was part of the mission." _Stop talking!_

He chuckled. "Right." He pulled her up close and bent down to speak into her ear. Leia had the fleeting impression of falling as her heart began a pounding, vociferous rhythm in her ears and she felt his hands settle on her hips. _How do you _do _that, Solo?_ "Sure you were."

Leia couldn't think. It was beyond her control to simply continue breathing. She threw out the only flimsy comeback she had. Denial. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He pulled his face back, Leia suddenly feeling surprisingly deprived and cold. "Sure, Sweetheart. Sure you don't." He winked, for once seeming content to leave the conversation as was, and dragged her towards the back rooms. "C'mon. I hear they're doin' some games in the back. Let's check 'em out, huh?"

* * *

**2345 GST  
EEE game room  
1.5 drinks consumed.**

"Name a' the game is 'I Never'. 's real easy and ya probably won' get drunk real fast. Jus' fun." The twi'lek glanced around the loose circle of eight, gauging their reactions. Leia, nervously fumbling with the clasps on her belt, sat next to Han. _This is so wrong, I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't be doing this. _Han glanced over her way and lifted his lips in what he obviously considered a reassuring smile.

It didn't help.

It was, after all, his fault. If he hadn't decided to "check out" the back rooms of the house, they might have been free to leave. As it stood, they were stuck in a grimy old room with two people making out in the back corner and one flickering holobulb illuminating the faces of the other six players in the game. Leia felt her senses slightly dulled, was starting to worry about this game and how she'd come away from it. _I don't drink! _She paused. _Well, not like this, at least. _She glanced back up at Han's face as he listened to the instructions. _I bet he's actually looking forward to this._

"So, I start, an' I'll say some'n like 'I never been t' Coruscant'. If you _have _done what I said I haven't done, ya drink."

Han and Leia looked at each other quickly. _How honest are we going be here? _Certainly there was a level of experience that the two of them had that the others hadn't. She noticed the glimmer of mischievous pride in Han's eye as he glanced around the circle and settled back on her. She caught her breath. _What are you planning, Solo?_

"Okay, so I'll ask that one. I never been t' Coruscant."

Leia looked sharply at Han, who was raising his container and grinning at her.

_Are you _trying_ to expose us? What are you doing? _She narrowed her eyes at him, intent on warning him with her glare. He looked quickly at the others in the circle and then returned his gaze back to hers. Leia looked at the others.

Three of them, not including Han, were drinking.

_Okay. So maybe this won't be so bad. _She took a sip of hers. _I probably couldn't lie too well right now anyway._

The next guy, a human male with slight nerdish tendencies, took up the reigns. "I've never had spice before." He laughed and pushed his stringy bangs out of his eyes.

_I'm safe on that one, at least. _She glanced at Han. He was going to be drinking constantly if they kept asking these kind of questions. _C'mon, start drinking, Solo. _He looked her way and shook his head, eyes serious. _Seriously? _She gave him a slight smile. _Huh._ _Well, at least he's unpredictable. _

"I've never – "

* * *

**0045 GST  
EEE gaming room  
3.25 drinks consumed.**

"You have not!"

Han laughed and shook his head in the affirmative. "Yeah. With Luke and Wedge and – " he paused, obviously concerned about recognition in the eyes of the others. When satisfied at their continued safety, he grinned. "With them and Carlist."

"No way!"

"You betcha, Sweetheart. We just were real quiet-like." He nodded to the next person in order. "Go ahead. Don't mind her. She's drunk already."

Leia opened her mouth in indignation and was prepared to negate his last comment when his hand clamped down over her mouth. "Go ahead, buddy."

"I never shot a blaster 'fore."

Leia somberly lifted her glass and took a drink before she even realized she was doing it. She caught a look at Han as he did the same, then glanced around the group as they stared.

"Okay. Er, I never met a Tion family member."

Leia smirked exclusively at Han and drowned the last of her drink in a flourish, eyes on him as he gaped and sputtered into his drink. He eyed her with brow furrowed and a wondering expression before he turned to the rest of the group and smirked. "Told you she was sloshed."

They laughed and even Leia smiled at the humor in his tone. She settled back down after grabbing another container and opening it. She leaned in close to Han and whispered challengingly into his ear. "Bet you I'll drink more."

He turned towards her, their faces barely six centimeters apart. "No way, Sweetheart."

The Rodian spoke next. "I've never had a million credits all at once."

Leia noticed that one other person besides Han and herself had drunk and briefly wondered what that particular story was.

"I've never got through_ Tilmeh_ – way too boring."

Leia briefly bristled at the slur to her favorite literary piece, but drank and let it slide off her consciousness. _And Han didn't drink, so I'm good._

"I never been on a Imper'l Star Destr'yer."

Both of them smirked at the ludicrousness of that question when posed to former Imperial lieutenants and senators as they drank.

"I've never been kicked outta nuthin."

_Does the Empire count? _Leia noticed Han took a drink and realized it was probably in response to his Imperial court-marshal. _Guess so._

"I've never cheated at anything in my life."

Leia laughed as Han nodded comically and drank.

"I've never had a one-night stand."

She did _not _laugh at Han's response to that one.

A hush descended on the group as the twi'lek looked down into her drink and spoke quietly. "I've never fallen in love."

Leia sat stock still and looked resolutely straight ahead. _I don't, that's not – but, no, I don't, way too – _Her heart started to beat just a little bit faster as she closed her eyes briefly and tried not to lose it in front of everyone. In front of him. She saw Han reach for the drink, and felt the sobs – _this is the alcohol, I know it's the alcohol _– as they wracked her chest. She began to tremble, still not looking at him as he lifted the container.

And took a drink.

Leia jumped up, stumbled a bit in her haste to leave them, him, everything, throwing a half-hearted "I'm leaving" over her shoulder as she walked out of the room, tears streaming down her face.

* * *

**0100 GST  
EEE front yard  
4 drinks consumed.**

"What the hell, Lei – uh, Rims?"

Leia turned her face away, ignoring Han as he sat next to her, put an arm around her shoulders. She shrugged it off, angrily stood up and got ready to leave again.

"Rims, look, come back inside." Han sighed and sat on the edge of the sidewalk. He turned his face towards her as she stopped at his quiet tone. "Just forget it. We have to at least say goodbye to your friends."

"They are _not_ my friends!"

Han visibly bristled at her angry words. "Yeah, well, sweetheart, you're gonna have to start thinking they are. Get off your throne and show a little respect to the common people."

"My _throne_?" She felt her muscles tighten in pure rage. "Is that all you think I do, _Jace?_ Do you think I think I'm better than everyone else?"

"Sure seems like it from where I'm standing."

"How _dare _you?"

"Me?" He pointed at himself. "How dare _I? _No, Sweetheart, how dare _you_? You look down on all these people, think you're smarter, better than 'em, when, really, you're in the same place. You don't know what the hell you're doin' with your life, either. Take a good look, Your Worship. This is where you'd be."

She stood about three meters away from him, silently seething. _Damned mercenary. He doesn't know anything. _She stopped. _But he means this._ _He's not joking. _Was is possible that she thought herself so far above other people around her that she'd stopped _thinking _about it? The idea seemed incredibly egotistical and wrong. How could she pretend to fight for the rights of the common people when she couldn't stand them? _And for a member of the High Council, too, this is terrible. _She stopped again. She heard herself mentally referring to herself as _Princess _or _Senator_ or _High Council Member_ when truly she was just Leia.

Just Leia.

Leia, the nineteen year old, slightly depressed, malnourished, overworked not-quite-adolescent who was aimless at times and rebellious almost always.

_Sounds an awful lot like a typical college student to me._

She sighed, releasing her anger in one quick breath and nodded up to Han. "Yeah. You're right."

Han stood still, eyes searching hers as if he were gauging whether to believe her or not. "I am?"

She chuckled quietly. "For once, Jace, you're completely right." She moved over to him and grabbed his arm. "Having you around has certainly spiced up the evening."

He turned them towards the door as he began to walk. "Find a quiet room and I could spice it up a little more."

For once, Leia didn't take offense to his proposition and laughed. "I don't think so, flyboy."

"Damn. Well, there's always Strip Sabaac in the card room – "

* * *

**0115 GST  
EEE living room  
4.25 drinks consumed.**

"Dance with me, Rims."

Leia hacked up the mouthful of cheap eyeblaster she was drinking and began a series of coughs that only ended when her eyes were watering and her body doubled over.

"Are you kidding?"

Han looked slightly insulted at her response and he replied with a gruff edge to his voice. "No, I'm not. Dance with me."

Leia eyes the couples at the center of the living room warily. "Do you _see_ what they're doing, Jace?"

Han grinned at her slight blush. "Yeah, great, huh?"

Leia wasn't of the same mind. The couples that Han and she were watching were more involved in scandal than dancing. "There is no way in all the hells of Corellia I'm doing that with you."

"So let's go to the outside. It's tamer over there." He waggled his eyebrows. "We can always move inwards when we want to."

Leia shook her head. "Oh, how subtle."

"I'm a subtle guy." He grabbed her hand and led her to the outskirts of the floor.

"Hey, wait, _Han_ – " She whispered. "Wait a second." She lifted the container in her right hand and downed the entirety of the contents in one giant gulp. _I'm already drunk. What could it hurt, really? _She set the container on a table to the right of Han and watched him as his eyes glinted in the low lighting. She smiled up at him. "I had a feeling I would need reinforcements to get through this."

He laughed and resumed his tugging towards the dancers. "You're drunk."

"It's your fault. I would have left by now if you weren't around."

"I'm not complaining." Han stopped, turned towards her, and put his arms around her waist. "You're fun when you're drunk. You wouldn't dance with me if you weren't."

She laughed into his shoulder. "What can I say? You're more charming when I'm drunk."

"Is that it? Guess I'll have to remember that for future reference."

She took her head off his chest. "There's no future for you to need referencing, Solo."

"Uh-huh. You won't even remember this tomorrow. You're so wasted that you're forgetting to hate me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me."

Leia laughed again. "I'm drunk, not dead, flyboy. I'm still not sleeping with you."

He winked. "Not even with the sexy scar?"

"Not going to happen, Solo." She vaguely realized that Han was dancing relatively appropriately with her. "You're being nice. You wouldn't do that to me."

Han's gaze sharpened on hers, and she felt a warmth cascade through her. "No, I wouldn't."

She heard herself babbling. "You're better man than that."

"You're too important to rush, Princess." His face was coming nearer. Leia knew, were she in her right mind, she would have fled. As it stood right now, she could imagine nothing better than the current situation. _And he's right, I won't remember this anyway. Why not enjoy what I can't have when I have the chance to have it now? _It seemed ludicrous, but oddly comforting, to know that Solo was honorable, regardless of his past occupation and assurances to the contrary.

"Important?"

His lips were barely a breath away from hers. "Did you forget the drinking game already, sweetheart?"

"No."

"Good. Don't."

When he kissed her, Leia was completely aware that she was not Rimmas and he was not Jace, but that Han Solo was kissing Leia Organa. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the buzz of alcoholic unreality and the taste of his mouth, losing herself in the experience.

It was, after all, one she didn't want to forget.

* * *

I'm way nervous . . . drop a note to let me know what you think . . .

KR


	10. Ten

**Trout: **Yes, you are the first! Congratulations! Oh, and, I almost forgot your reward for helping me out amongst the privacy and privilege that is Junior's Abroad camp-out mania . . .

**Summers2004: **Thank you! Your reviews always make my day . . . Thanks!

**SoloKenobi: **Well, someoneon the JC Boards pointed out to me that "Never have I Ever" was on a recent episode of "Lost." I threatened to hurt Mr. J.J. Abrams, except then I remembered that I love him for creating Sark. puppy-dog eyes Sigh. Sarkie-baby. Enough of the Alias gush - thank you!

**Mirax Myra Terrik:** I'm glad you liked it! Hope the Morning After chap is a good conclusion . ..

**Dimonah Tralon: **Thank you!

**Limelight: **The admiration is most assuredly mutual, LL. Thank you for the enormous ego boost . . . ;)

**SUP3R GIL: **Thank you! I try to put Han and/or Leia consistently in the worst situations possible, so the purple and orange were a natural progression for me!

**Prudence-Chan: **I was actually very, very surprised at how many of my readers did not get the Jacen joke. I'm glad you got it! Thank you!

**Lynn: **Well, my Writing Fic prof may disagree with your assessment of my writing, but, hey. She doesn't know how much fiction I'm actually writing, eh? Thanks!

**This chapter, ladies and gentlemen, was fixed and revamped by my most esteemed colleague-in-fanfic-crime, Ms. Hold-Out Trout. She beta-ed for me in a very, very strange location this last Thursday night, and I am forever in awe of her editing skills. ;) Thanks Trout - you're a life-saver. (And a good flavor, too, I might add. Maybe red or orange . . . )**

* * *

**Chapter 10:**

It was an interesting experience, Leia had to admit. Waking up next to Han Solo was not an event she had _ever _anticipated. And even in the moments that her mind had touched briefly upon the subject before, she didn't wake up to him with an orange skirt and blue tank-top on. And it was surprising to her that, firstly, she could view her current predicament with such detached enthusiasm and secondly, she couldn't remember hardly anything following the . . .

The . . .

Leia sighed and closed her eyes against the sharp needles that seemed to penetrate her brain. It was too difficult to think. She just wanted to lie here in her current lethargy and let the day end.

Next to Han.

On her bed.

She didn't move closer. She didn't pull away. It was more surprising that she could handle the situation than that she was _in _the situation in the first place. Head pounding, arms akimbo and completely lifeless and empty of all energy, Leia tried her hardest to shut out the nagging conscience at the back of her hungover brain that told her – no, _screamed _at her – to get up, to put some distance between the smuggler on the miniature bed and herself, grab some kaffe and reality.

She quickly blasted the conscience to dust and closed her eyes again.

"Hey, Rims."

_Ivoen, this is called a hangover. _"Yeah?" _Go away._

"It's two o'clock."

"Yeah, good time to sleep, don't you think?"

"In the afternoon."

Leia opened her eyes, blinked back the sharp pain behind her eyes, and stared at her roommate. "So?"

"We have a floor meeting at three." The blurry outline that she assumed was Ivoen shrugged. "I thought you might want to be somewhat awake by the time we have to face – " she gestured vaguely " – them."

Leia groaned. _How do these people do it? _"Yeah, okay. I'm up." She rolled herself toward the edge of the narrow bed and groped around the floor for Stribur's blue slippers. Sitting up and extricating herself from the bunk, Leia turned around and stared at Han blurrily.

She was slightly surprised. He lay on his back, hair swept onto his forehead and mouth slightly parted. _He looks – _She laughed quietly to herself. _Innocent. That has to be a first._ She took in the rumpled purple shirt and the orange hat still upon his head, still and unmoving in the afternoon light of the window sill, and noticed he lay above the covers, legs spread past the length of the bed, feet dangling off the edge.

Ivoen came up behind her as she assessed Solo. "Do you remember much?"

Leia shook her head. "I remember the – " She stopped. "I remember being at the party and dancing, and have a faint idea of coming here, but, other than that, no."

"Mmm, well, I've taken care of my mother after she's gone to her society parties, and you were in pretty good shape, considering. I mean, you hear all these stories of people screaming and dancing when they're drunk." She chuckled. "Don't worry. I guess you're what they call a good drunk."

Leia rolled her eyes, which shot her brain an electric pain. "Great. When did we get back?"

Ivoen shrugged. "Oh, well, maybe three o'clock. You were almost asleep." She nodded towards the smuggler on her bed. "He wanted to sleep on the floor, but I told him you probably wouldn't mind. Anyway, he was really sweet. You got a good one, Rims."

_I haven't "got" him at all. And what's scaring me is that I want to. _"Thanks."

"Are you going to wake him up or wait until after the meeting?"

She frowned. "I don't know." _What damage could he possibly do here alone? _"Let's go. If my current nausea and headache are any indication, we should give him as much chance to sleep as possible."

* * *

"Okay, ladies, okay! We've only got a few things to go over and I want to get this done as soon as possible. Okay?"

The chorus of giggles, verbal acknowledgements, and one long melodramatic sigh answered the resident assistant as she attempted to grab hold of the meeting and shifted around on her bed. Seated under a desk, Leia tried to look as comfortable as she could while hunched over and consistently hitting her head on the plastisteel above her. Ivoen was on her knees next to Leia's feet, pushed towards the wall by the rather large brunette hogging the center of the open floor.

"Okay, I know I should have called a meeting before this but I have had the _worst _week ever and couldn't handle the RA thing yet, okay? Don't _ever_ take Freddi's Hyperspace Calculations class, okay? It's awful."

Three blondes huddled near the feet of the RA raised their voices in affirmation of the statement, each expressing how truly terrible the professor was. Okkon, holding her head in her hands, argued against the four as she detailed her experience with Freddi. The large brunette shook up and down in a wave of enthusiastic excitement as she spun a tale no one listened to about her Hyp Calc class in her public secondary school and how adorable Mr. Garifeldi was way back in the ninth grade. Ivoen rolled her eyes and glanced at Leia.

Leia hit her head on the desk.

"Okay, now, my name is Iotek and I'm a second-year student here at UoIE. So, let's go around and share everyone else's name. Roommates, introduce each other, okay? Okay!"

And so began a long string of introductions full of senseless information that made no sense to Leia – favorite musical groups, favorite holostars, favorite color combinations – until everyone had concluded that everyone else was exactly like themselves in their own inimitable way.

Leia felt awful for hating them, remembered Han's lecture of the night before. _But I feel awful and they really are acting idiotic._

"So, we've got twenty-six girls here on the floor this year, and I think it'll be a great year this year." She stopped. "Wow, I said 'year' three times."

The rabble began again, two roommates on the opposite room detailing exactly how ridiculous it was. The shy girl in the corner tried to tell no one that she'd done precisely the same thing two weeks ago with her best friend. Okkon's blonde friend whimpered and said that her head hurt and that she thought 'this year' was an amusing phrase. Ivoen laughed politely and then looked back at Leia.

Leia hit her head on the desk.

"Okay, so I've only got one more thing, I think. It'd be totally awesome to do like a girl's night out or something, okay? Like going to see a holo or go static-blading or whatever. What do you think?"

It was the wrong thing to ask. The three blondes in the corner shrilled out a complicated plan that involved a six course dinner and a trip to a spa. The large brunette in the center told everyone about a group date she'd probably never gone on with a semi-famous, easily forgotten holostar. Another redhead, a different one than Okkon, suggested a night out in the nearby dance clubs. Ivoen watched the debate, then turned towards Leia.

Leia hit her head on the desk.

* * *

Feeling like she'd just run a marathon, Leia pulled herself forcefully towards her room and hoped that she'd be able to sleep for the next three days.

Unfortunately, this was not the case.

Han Solo, looking refreshed and very much awake, was seated at her desk looking through her various drawers in unabashed reconnaissance, a small grin aimed at her as she walked in.

"Hey'a, sweetheart!"

Leia groaned and flopped onto her bed, motioning for Ivoen to come closer. "If you kill me right now, in the most painless way you know, I'll pay you a million credits."

Ivoen laughed and grabbed her purse. "No such luck, Rims. It's called murder, and I am slightly against it. Besides – " she moved towards the door " – I'm hungry. Do either of you want anything? I could try to sneak it out to you. Gods know they have their stupid security system looking for us to steal food we've already paid for. So if I wind up in jail, come bail me out, please."

Leia saw Han smile disarmly at Ivoen. "No. I'm fine. Rims looks like the thought of food is about to kill her." He closed the drawer at which he was looking. "And if you kill her that way, I don't think you'll get your million."

Leia shoved a proto-pillow over her head as Ivoen left and Han resumed his inspection.

"Hey, sweetheart, you've got some interesting stuff in here."

"Go away."

"No," he sing-songed. "This is my chance to learn all sorts of fun stuff about you here, Princess. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me."

Like a dream, his half-forgotten words of the night before floated to the surface of her consciousness. "_You're so wasted that you're forgetting to hate me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me." _Leia felt her face flush and was supremely glad he couldn't see it with her head under the pillow. Should she tell him? Tell him she remembered? That she remembered hardly anything else except the kiss, how gentlemanly he was, how easily she could see herself falling . . .

No, she couldn't do it. What would it gain any of them? And who would it hurt? She'd only be encouraging this idiotic fantasy that they seemed to share.

"_You're too important to rush, Princess."_

No! It couldn't go anywhere, it wouldn't help anyone. Who were they kidding? He was beneath her, a smuggler, a mercenary, only in it for the money, after a couple of nights of fun and then a broken heart yearning for him as he flew away?

_"Did you forget the drinking game already, sweetheart?"_

And what about the Rebellion? She couldn't split her time between the two of them. It'd be impossible! It would require her to give up one of them eventually, even if he didn't take off and leave her alone.

_He's probably told every girl he's ever met that he's fallen in love with her._

No.

She couldn't do it.

" – Not to mention that I've inspectedStribur's closet and there is some stuff in there that I would _really _love to see on you, sweetheart."

"What?" She threw the proto-pillow off her head.

Han was rifling through her text-disks. "Your closet. She's got some nice things in there."

"You looked through my closet?" _Out of all the – _"What else have you ransacked?"

"Oh, none of Ivoen's stuff. She's too young for my taste."

Leia blinked. "We're the same age."

"You're nineteen?"

She pushed herself from her bed and crossed to the other side of the room, where she whipped out a list from the back pocket of her jacket draped over a chair. "Before she comes back, we have a few things to discuss. I need – "

"_Nineteen_, Leia?"

" – track Vader. I have to know where he is and where I can't be."

"Wait, wait, Sweetheart, slow down – "

" – an estimate for the size of the Imperial force here. I need you to get me about five hundred credits into an account I can use inconspicuously."

"Okay, but Leia – "

"Stop it." She stared into his pitying gaze. "Don't coddle me. Treat me like you used to. I need a better communication method for you and I."

"Yeah, but – "

"I need a way to get important intelligence to you without using my comm."

He sighed. "Like what?"

"Message drop system? Like in specific waste bins?"

"That could work."

"Anything would be better than trying to tell you what's going on in _any _kind of code. We use the comm for smaller developments, intel drops for the more important information."

"Okay. Except I think I'll miss Jemmy's dad with the black capes."

She fought back a relieved smile. _At least he's dropping the age thing._ "I need a better tracking device on my comm. Ivoen's father is on the GansCorp board and I'm going to her parent's house here on IE next weekend."

"That's suspiciously convenient,"

"You're telling me. Almost as if someone is creating a plot and using things like that to further it." She shook her head and looked back down at the list. "I have a million things. I just can't think of them right now." She raised her head as Han stood up. "I'll contact you if I think of any others."

"Okay." He looked around the room as he walked towards the door, stopping before he actually opened it. "Hey, Sweetheart, I really did have a good time last night."

Leia felt herself blush. "Yeah, me, too." She paused. "What I remember of it, anyway."

"It would have been even nicer with a goodbye kiss, huh?"

She grabbed onto her resolve with both shaking hands. _The way you kiss, the evening was much better than nice. _"Not going to happen, Solo."

His face fell subtly again. "Yeah, well, I'll talk to you later, then."

It was better to ignore it.

Cherish the little she could have.

But ignore it on the outside.

* * *

La, dee, da, dee . . . REVIEW! . . . dee, da, de . . .

KR


	11. Eleven

**Padawan Sydney Bristow: **Thank you! I really appreciate your comments!

**Prudence-Chan: **I always wanted to write a viggie centering around the huge age gap between Han and Leia, and I thought I'd sneak that in. And Han will always be young at heart . . . just as big a scoundrel as he is now. Ha-ha!

**Anna: **Why, thank you! And thanks for the second review up top!

**LimeLight: **Well, hungover!Leia had to happen sometime in a story like this. When the premise is "Leia goes to college", drinking is probably a consideration. Lol. Thanks, LL.

**SUP3R G1R: **Oh, well, nineteen year olds are awesome, you know (wink, wink). As much as I want to move on (Just a few weeks!), nineteen was a good year for me. Thanks!

**Trout: **So - here. Am. Lit. paper's done and I'm avoiding studying for the final. What do I do? I post fanfic. My priorities amaze even me sometimes. Thanks for the help, regardless if you think it helped.

**Summers2004: **Thanks! I'm glad you think it's always worth the wait . . . hey, you love waiting and excellent stories combined together? Read and reread _NQLL_, like I do . . . sorry, **LL**, I'm publicizing your story. Oh, well. Thanks **Summers2004** - I can always count on you to write nice things on your reviews!

**SailorLeia: **Welcome! Good to see you here! Grab a chair, take a seat . . . Thanks!

**Mirax Myra Terrik: **Oh, well, my roommate and I are friends with the RA, so we can't really hide all that well. It's awesome that you got away with it though!

**Clare: **Whadd'ya know? I write chapters to get out of studying for finals! Small world . . . welcome!

**Youte: **Okay, here you go!

**MissE: **I'm also not a real joiner. Good to see you distance yourself as well! Thanks for reading!

**HanSolosGal: **Yikes! Tanning my hide! I swear I'm going to strangle **Sticks **for sharing her evilness with you! Well, thanks for being everywhere - it's nice to see a familiar face!

**So . . . yeah, I've been nonexistent for the past month, and I really do apologize. I know y'all are great readers and are incredibly patient, and I greatly appreciate it. ****Andnow I've got some time to write. Hallelujah.**

**Two things: One, keep in mind that this story is primarily a"Leia story" - those of you waiting for the extendedromance/sex scene won't get it . . . sorry, lol. It's also not an AU story, meaning Han and Leia don't become an official_thing_ until ESB. **

**Two: Congrats to Trout -good luck thisweek andcongrats onbig ceremony next weekend! (I don't know how much you want me to give away about you personally, dear. So . . . congratulations!)**

**

* * *

"We are utterly surrounded, permeated, really, by the big issues of today." Professor Nusorreh-Duil enunciated. "You cannot pretend to let it slide off your back, ladies and gentlemen. The forces that be, militarily, politically, and socially, are demanding your attention. Are you giving it to them?"**

Leia felt a hand on her right shoulder as the owner of the hand whispered, "Psst. Hey, you."

Leia stared ahead as she answered. "Yeah?"

"Hey, hey, yeh were at the EEE party las' weeken', weren't'cha?" Leia saw a tangled mass of blonde curls flip off of the speaker's shoulder to her right as she whispered. "Yeh're the one wit' the boyfrien'."

Leia rolled her eyes. "I have _a_ boyfriend, yes."

The bouncing curls of death hurled closer to Leia. "No, no, yeh're the one wit' _the _boyfrien'. The one wit' the green eyes an' brown hair? _The _boyfrien'?"

Leia resolutely took notes and ignored the blonde, hoping that she'd take her comments about Han and try to focus on the matter at hand, when she was saved.

"Ms. Sinuj, could you please refrain from discussing inane relationships in my class? Even Ms. Stribur seems to be a bit nauseous from your haranguing."

_How does he know our names in the second week of classes?_

Nusorreh-Duil's eyes seemed to twinkle as mischievously as the old man could manage. "You seem shocked to be called by name, Ms. Stribur. I assure you, no pretense should be made about my memory. Ms. Sinuj has enjoyed my class three different semesters thus far. Isn't that so, Ms. Sinuj?"

Leia turned towards the blonde and watched the curls bounce up and down vigorously.

"And _your_ name is burned onto my memory as the only student to teach more in the first class period than the professor." The twinkling resumed. "You're forever ingrained as the good student of my Contemporary Concerns class, Ms. Stribur. Enjoy."

_There goes discretion. _As Leia slouched into her seat, Nussoreh-Duil continued his lecture. "To begin the semester, I believe it would be prudent to attack the largest issues immediately. I'll spare you the simmering anticipation you must all be feeling: we'll be discussing the Imperial Civil War head-on."

Leia felt sick.

"I'd like to conduct a debate here on the last day before the weekend. Prepare both sides. You'll be asked to submit a paper on your opinion; it is due when the debate is held. Any questions?"

_Like how I'm going do this without blowing everything? _Leia closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe deeply. _I can handle this. It's not a big deal. It's a college debate, that's all – _

"So, is he jus' as cute wit'ou' the awesome hat on?"

_But first, I have to stab the curly-headed monster behind me. _

* * *

"Oh, hey, Rims, are you okay skipping a couple of classes so we can get a head start on my parent's house this weekend?"

Leia shook her head, turning toward Ivoen and away from her desk. "I would if I could. I have this debate thing I have to do that day."

"Debate thing?"

"We debate either the Rebellion or the Empire. He'll tell us on that day which one."

"So you research both sides?" Leia nodded. "Too bad it's not next week. You could interview my dad. He's always got an opinion about everything."

"And on that particular issue?" _How hard am I going to have to work for my voice on the GansCorp board?_

"Who knows? I've been tuning him and my mother out for ten years now." Ivoen chuckled. "Point is, he'd probably give you some information on both sides. He's pretty thorough."

"Great. I'll be sure to get the important information _after _my debate. You're a big help, Ivoen. Thanks."

"Oh, hey, IE sarcasm. That hurts, Rims. Right here."

Leia rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Ivoen, or I'll send some more over to kill you."

"Oh, hey, IE death threats. Those hurt, Rims . . . "

Leia turned around in her chair and logged onto the holonet, ignoring her roommate as she continued blabbing on to herself. _How do I research an organization against whom I'm fighting? _Leia paused. _How do I research an organization with whom I'm involved?_

It wasn't as if she had to research what to know.

It was what she had to _not _know.

Leia had had allegiance to the Rebel Alliance for nearly two and a half years: full, daily contact with the political and social uprising. Leia slept where the rebels slept, ate what the rebels ate, did what the rebels did. She could give statistics no one else knew, other than perhaps the blonde lieutenant in Supply and the rest of the High Council. Tactics, hidden Intel cells, specific biographies of the more prominent figures in the ranks: Leia could recite them, one by one, to anyone who cared to listen.

And, to be entirely honest, there was no shortage of people who would be willing to listen to such a recitation. Which was why Leia needed to know what she could say about the Alliance in the debate. What was generally known? Where did people think they were? To what Intel did average, everyday citizens have access? Did the outsider truly understand why the Alliance was fighting?

_If they don't, I'll lose myself within the first ten minutes of the debate. _

Leia exhaled, imagining her stress and nervousness exiting her body. _Okay. Calm. Begin with the basics. _She wrote in her datapad, beginning with the very foundation of knowledge at her behest.

_The Galactic Empire was first recognized as the ultimate power in the galaxy in the year . . . _

* * *

"Yneffot Snignet, Rebellion. Tiregrem Sollew, Rebellion."

Leia let her mind escape the classroom, past the permacrete doors and the mass of students behind her, into memories. Memories of home, of the base at Yavin Four, at the vague, misty recollection of Han's kiss . . .

"Rimmas Stribur, Empire."

_Dammit all to hell. _

The class sat together, pseudo-supporters of the Rebellion mingling and neighboring with semi-Imperials, all discreetly denying the abject horror of the public speaking they faced. Leia nodded to her colleagues, secretly seething, attempting to find a safe way to put in her two credits and exit the debate as quickly as she could. _Keep your big mouth shut and we'll all be better for it._

"Please get into your two groups. Rebel sympathizers, please meet on the right, Imperials on the left. Choose your spokesperson to do opening comments and highlight what you most wish them to discuss."

Leia stood up and crossed to the left side of the room, assessing her fellow debate-mates as she crossed. The massive group congregating together seemed, for the large part, to be uninterested in the goings-on of the class. Formulating themselves into a general blob, they sat in plastisteel chairs and on the floor, some chatting comfortably with their friends, others obviously nursing hangovers, heads in hands and spiteful degradations on lips.

_Stay out of leadership role. You'll dig your own grave here, Organa._

The other "Imperials" continued chatting or moaning quietly to themselves.

_Don't do it._

She glanced over her shoulder toward the "Rebels". The other half of the class was congregated together, heads in towards each other, listening to a core group of students vehemently raise their voices, look sheepish, and lower their exclamations again before Leia's side could hear them. _They're discussing how to attack us. They're going to beat us._

_No._

There was _so_ much wrong with this situation.

_No._

_Fine. _"Hey!"

Heads turned her way.

"Hey. Uh, what are we going to say?"

One Bothan shook his head. "_We? _No. _You? _Yes. You're the favorite around here, Stribur. You get us our high marks."

"I refuse to be merely your ladder for higher grades!"

A human male on her right leered at her. "I don't know, Sweetheart. I could see you as my ladder any day."

She gave him the annoyed look usually reserved for Solo and turned away toward the center of the unmotivated blob, focusing on a Kuati. "Didn't you prepare anything?"

"Why?"

"To do well here today."

"Why?"

"To get a better grade in the class?"

"Why?"

She sighed in frustration. "Is anyone going to do this with me?"

Silence. She was pretty sure there were two people kissing in the back corner of the group, but, surprisingly, the silence pervaded.

"No one? Anyone? Come on!"

Silence. A slight tinker of liquid in a container as one dark-eyed, mussed-up haired guy hauled back a mouthful of whiskey.

_You've got to be kidding me._

"Fine. I'll do this myself."

She confidently turned away from the group and ran through her datapad full of notes.

_How the hell am I going to do this by myself?_

* * *

"Let us move on to the discussion of plans for the future. Rimmas, would you care to begin?"

_Would I care to hop over to the other podium? _"Absolutely. The Empire is the rightful progression of political ideology in the galaxy. Once the Rebellion is abolished – " _it's not going to happen_ " – the galaxy will again be brought peace and economic prosperity. The Empire's programs have sufficiently dealt with economic recession aids and the cost of war material. The war will _not _be paid out of citizen's pockets." _No, they're called war reparations, and only the surviving moffs will pay. _"Peace will reign again."

"The Empire is not a peaceful organization! The war will be suffered by the poor and needy, the orphans and the widows!"

"Whom you are _making _orphans and widows."

Adrian reluctantly closed her mouth and nodded assent to Leia. _Sometimes I hate being good at this. I hate myself for being able to do this so well. _

_And for what? A grade?_

The small part of her brain that actually seemed to embrace self-preservation chimed in. _No, this isn't about a grade. This is about my life. _She shuddered slightly. _Should Vader hear about me . . . _

_No._

_Better to excel at this small debate. We're almost done, aren't we?_

"_Your _deliberate massacres have been focused largely on the non-human and economic poor of Rim worlds! Worlds that have no protection! They have no strong allies within the senate or guilds to help them! They are, in essence, the exact perfect victims of your horrid genocide!"

_Yes, they are. _"The Empire is based upon the strongly-held belief that in order for peace to reign, opposition must be eliminated. Look at history. When has democracy _ever _accomplished the freedom it espouses?" _I feel sick. _"When has a republic _ever _guaranteed the rights of those it serves?" Leia licked her lips and continued. "A powerful leader _always _provides prosperity on larger grounds. Bureaucracy is not to be tolerated and is a hindrance to _any_ group of peoples." _Don't listen to me! Don't listen to me!_ "Governments require quick decisions, not volatile machinations and politics that have little hope of ever reaching consensus!"

"But the massacres - !"

"The massacres occurred for reasons in which the Emperor found the necessary precautions to ensure the survival of the galaxy." _Or the survival of his power. Either one._ "The same Emperor that overthrew the tyranny that the Trade Federation and the Jedi –" _Sorry, Luke "_– held over us for so long." _The Emperor that I'd also shoot on sight if I was given the opportunity. But I digress. _"Emperor Palpatine has ensured the continued freedoms of the Empire."

"And Alderaan? What about _it's_ continued freedom?"

Leia's mouth opened. And closed. She closed her eyes, passed a hand over her stomach and opened her eyes once again.

_Freedom._

_Where's my freedom?_

_Where's my life?_

_How does it feel to lose so much so young? _

_How does it feel to lose so much at any age?_

_How does it feel to cause the loss that consumes you?_

"Tell me, Adrian, how do you deal with a traitor?"

Adrian, a brunette with closely-cropped hair, was thrown by Leia's carefully and softly-spoken question. "A – a traitor?"

"Yes." _How did they deal with me? _"Once captured, does it do any good to threaten a traitor with death? Or does that traitor need more demonstration of your power?"

"I – where are you going with this?"

_To my personal hell. _"How do you convince someone that you're right? Alderaan – " _My home, my home, my beautiful, serene, helpless home_ " – was a political example. A traitor that keeps in line the – " _my family, my lives, my home _" – balance of power to ensure the continued freedoms of our lives here."

"But the destruction of an _entire world _– "

"How many soldiers were aboard the Death Star when it blew?" _How many people deserved to die in that hellish prison? _"The Alliance is in no way free from mass homicide."

_Neither am I._

It was silent in the classroom, her last word, homicide, smeared against the walls in lasting memory.

The professor interposed himself between the two podiums and signaled a ceasefire."I think we are traveling into arenas that can be debated for hours without conclusion, ladies. Care to conclude?"

_Just get me out of this room. _

_Get me out of this body._

_Get me away from my memories. Please._

* * *

Mmm, not so happy or pretty, eh? Don't you just _hate _character development sometimes? Lol.

KR


	12. Twelve

**Hold-Out Trout: **Thank you, oh wonderous graduate. I live to serve you . . . that is, if you work on a couple of stories that I've been nagging you about . . .

**HanSolosGal: **Nah, no extendedromance/sex scene, I'm sorry, but I have some Han-ness here for you . . . ;)

**Prudence-Chan: **I've only had one other reader on the JC ask me about this, and I'll tell you what I told him or her: you're reading this story exactly how I want you to. Thanks for that!

**Angryteabag: **Oh, I don't think I could write a story without some kind of Han/Leia element - I'm a tad obsessed with this particular ship, you see. ;) Thanks for reading!

**TrinityDay: **Why, thank you!

**Summers2004: **And you don't have to wait for a month for this one!

**SuP3R G1R: **Does one week work for you? Thanks for reading!

**dm1: **Thank you! **QueenofAces **even wrote out a semi-long explanation for why this activity is beneficial over at the JC - actually, she kind of showed me up. ;) But that's okay. If I had had her as a teacher in the eighth grade, I might not have become such a psychopathic nuisance. ;) Thanks!

**Anna: **Why, are you saying you actually enjoy Han in fics? Such insanity and ridiculousness! ;) Like we all don't click on stories that say they have Han in themmerely to get our daily quota of Solo, right?

**Aladailey: **Welcome! Glad to see you! And yes, I've got an update for you!

**MissE: **You mean there should be a _plot_ to this? Are you kidding me? ;) Leia's in a precarious situation and doesn't have a whole lot of options for her mission yet. She's got her trip to the Sorrehs coming up and then she'll start to be more focused. Up to this point, she's been mostly concerned with her safety and protection. Thanks for reading!

**Phoenix Flight: **Thank you for reading this stupid, stupid story! Welcome and I hope to see more of you around here!

**Just a shout out to lurkers and people too busy to respond. You are missed, for sure, but don't feel guilty. I know you're around and appreciate you reading and commenting when you can! Thanks!**

* * *

Han's voice sounded weary and muffled when he answered his comm later that same day. "Yeah?" 

"Hey. It's me."

"What's wrong, Rims?"

Leia started. "What do you mean, what's wrong?"

"Something's wrong. You sound upset."

"I do not."

"How long did it take you to stop crying before you called me?"

_How do you know? _"I wasn't crying, Jace."

"Yes, you were. What's wrong?"

_And the deflectors are up. _"Did I tell ya I'm goin' wit' Ivoen ta her parent's vacation house at Rivaucnev City this weeken'? I can't make that date. Sorry."

"Yeah, you told me. What's wrong? And if you're going to be stubborn and blow me off and pretend like something didn't happen today, I'll tell you right now that I don't believe you. What time do you leave?"

Leia sighed. _He's going to make this difficult. _"In two hours. The Sorrehs are picking us up. Don't come, Jace."

"I'll be there in a few."

_Dammit. _

_

* * *

"I brought a bug sweeper." Han presented a small rectangular disk out of the hideous red jacket he had squeezed into. "It'll disturb a few of your neighbors' comm calls, but they won't be able to pinpoint you."_

Leia smirked, hiding the trembling that had not yet subsided. "An entirely legal device, I'm sure."

"You know better than that – " he flipped the device onto Ivoen's desk " – Princess." He sat down on her bed and looked at her. "What was it?"

"I think you're blowing this way out of – "

"You said, 'it's me' when you called. Its bad enough you called to tell me something you already knew I knew. Then you're acting completely out of character, without the accent, calling without a real reason, in the middle of the day when you're supposed to be getting ready to go." He pointed at her. "You know the drill. You know what to do undercover. This is not like you."

She hissed under her breath. "Because you know me _so _well and are qualified to make that statement."

"C'mon, Leia, I've known you for a year. I've carted you around on more missions than I can remember. What's wrong?"

"First you were obnoxious over the comm, telling me that I'm upset when I'm not, and now you risk security – meaning both my life and yours – to barge into my room, throw comm disrupters around and sit there like my personal shrink, all ready to plow into every problem I've never had." She took a deep breath. "You need help, you know that?"

"Yeah. So do you."

She crossed her arms and looked to the side. "I do not."

"Leia." She jumped a little at the second use of her first name during the conversation. _Either that or you're too tired to pretend this isn't killing you. _"Tell me."

Leia wasn't sure if it was his entreating tone, or his physical presence, or just her nerves that prompted her to sit down next to him and tell him everything. She assumed it was a combination of the three, with just enough of her own exhaustion to cap it off. She didn't intend to tell him about the debate, about the hideous comments she made denouncing her life's work, about her justification for Alderaan's destruction, but her mouth was moving, and he was comforting and had his arm around her, and she felt safer than she had at any base she'd lived in during the past year. And she wasn't sure that she could have maintained the pretense that nothing had happened, that she wasn't affected by the defense she had made for her worst enemy.

She didn't cry. She never cried. It wasn't a facet of her personality and certainly not something anyone would expect of her. She spoke in low, tortured tones, her throat tightening as she accounted for him the debate, the congratulations she'd received, her abrupt departure as soon as the class concluded. Leia twisted a red strand of hair around her fingers, twirling it absently and studying it when her tongue became thick and her lips refused to cooperate, to spill the reassuring lies they had been trained to say.

And once it had been expunged, once her demons had been exorcised, she dropped the red strand and slowly came to realize what had just happened, what she had said, what he now knew. She closed her eyes against his face, imagining the hated expression of pity. It was an expression she knew well, one against which she had fought since the moment she had debarked the _Millennium Falcon_ upon its first trip to Yavin Four. The soldiers gave it to her. Dodonna gave it to her. Luke sometimes looked to teeter on the edge of sympathy and pity, to cross that hated line. Very few challenged her to survive, Rieekan being a beloved exception.

And Han.

To see that hazel expression, the one usually challenging and confrontationally teasing, become upset and sorrowful on her account, the way it had when she had told him her age, would be too much. She didn't think she could handle that.

_Don't tell me you're sorry._

_Don't tell me I deserve more._

_Don't tell me you regret anything you've done – _

"Yeah, it's kind of like the time I locked myself out of the _Falcon_ on Mallia."

Leia opened her eyes.

"I didn't think I'd ever leave _that _pit of despair. It took me at least four minutes just to calm down and stop crying."

A laugh escaped from her traitorous lips, breaking the semi-serious expression on Han's face into a lopsided grin as she leaned her head onto his shoulder and chuckled. _Flagrantly irreverent. Precisely what I need. _She could feel him lean his head down, lift it to kiss her hair, settle it back down on top of hers. She enjoyed the physical contact, a sensation she'd forgotten, a comfort she'd abandoned a year ago. She could have been offended with his presumptuous actions but instead focused on its rarity, on the pure sensory delight that spiked through her.

"You okay?" she heard him murmur against her hair.

She sighed and lifted her head from his shoulder, turning to look at him and passing a hand across her eyes to steady herself. "Yeah." She smiled at him. "Thanks for coming, Han. Really."

He waved off her comments. "Nah. No worries, Sweetheart. And, before I forget – " he reached once more into the jacket "here."

Leia peered at a pair of obnoxious red earrings he held in his hand. "And when did you finally admit to your earring fetish?"

Han grinned. "I'm a closet earring fan. Have been for awhile. Figured I'd get one in a few years or so, what do you think?" At her slight laugh, he offered her the earrings again. "I found these in one of your drawers and borrowed it."

"_Borrowed_? Like _stole_?" _Those look familiar. Where have I seen – _

"Yeah, like that." She took the earrings from him and inspected them in her palm. "They've got a tracker in the dangly part. Thought we'd better keep an eye on you while you're with the Sorrehs."

_I swear I've seen these before. _"The market."

Han's confusion was evident. "Huh?"

"I stole these from the market the first day I was here." She walked to the mirror and began to fix one onto her right ear. "I completely forgot about them."

"Petty thievery. How un-princess-like."

Leia finished with her right ear and began on her left. "Espionage, rebellion, thievery. Give me some credit for variety here, Solo." She turned to him. "What do you think?"

He swallowed visibly. "I, uh, think they match my coat."

"Well, if you don't get yourself arrested or killed by the time I come back, I'll let you steal them, feed your fetish."

"It's a plan, Princess." He stood there looking at her, hands in pockets, until he cleared his throat, moved to collect the bug disrupter on Ivoen's desk and then the door. "Have fun on your trip, Sweetheart, and don't get into trouble."

She smiled at his retreating form down the hallway, wondering at the sometime ease and friendship that existed between them and grateful for his companionship during this difficult situation.

And then she glared at the three brunettes that peeked out of their doorways to likewise stare at the smuggler's exit. _Stare? _Leia found herself laughing. _No. Ogling. Openly. _

_They are so unbelievably pathetic. _

Taking one last appreciative glance, Leia closed her door and began to pack for her weekend at the Sorrehs.

* * *

Talking's almost done, **Trout**. I promise. I know how much you desire action . . . ;)

KR


	13. Thirteen

**I'm using my roommate's computer to post this, so I don't have time to give you your proper replies! I'll respond individually on Chapter 14. Big thanks to all who reviewed! It truly makes my day!****

* * *

**

**Chapter 13:**

When the Sorrehs called Ivoen's comm, Leia was finished packing and had been waiting, watching Ivoen struggle with her own bags. Living with the Rebellion and well-versed in the fine art of quick evacuations, the young princess could shove all her belongings into a standard issue backpack in a little under five minutes. She'd timed herself as a personal challenge. At Esperance Base, she'd gotten it in three point five, but that was a fluke; Hobbie Klivian has stashed most of her personal items into miscellaneous corners of the Falcon as the Rogues' prank of the week, making it much easier to decide what to leave and what to abandon.

Nevertheless, Ivoen had been a bit shocked at Leia's finely-honed talents.

"Is that all you're taking with you?"

Leia had looked up from her handbag, confused glance focused onto her roommate. "Yeah. Why?"

"Well, I don't know." The taller girl had walked over to Leia's one handbag and peered inside. "You've got one pair of pants, one shirt, some perfume and a hairbrush. What about shoes?"

"I'm wearing a pair that goes with all four outfits."

"Four?"

Leia nodded. "Sure. I've got two shirts and two pairs of pants, including the ones I'm wearing, plus the jacket I'm planning on . . . what?"

"You are so strange sometimes." She laughed easily. "They're about fifteen minutes outside of the city and want us to wait outside for them. Are you ready?"

Leia double-checked her earrings and comm and grabbed her handbag and purse. "Whenever you are." She followed Ivoen's form out the door. "I think."

* * *

Leia's stomach tightened and quivered as she stood next to Ivoen on the entrance to Ymec Hall. Surrounded by a score of small bushes and larger trees on the opposite side of the other two dormitories, Ymec seemed artificially peaceful, if one ignored the howls of celebratory victory inherently a part of university dorms on completion of a week of classes. Leia pulled her pack closer to her as she surveyed the various speeders parked near the buildings, feeling uneasy and excitable as the vehicles roved down the street.

_Why should I be so jumpy? It's just the Sorrehs._

She forced herself to breathe deeply and reminded herself that she'd already met two-thirds of the Sorreh household. Ivoen was her ally and Mrs. Sorreh had seemed perfectly harmless, if a bit talkative and overenthusiastic. From Iveon's description of her father, he seemed an intellectual and well-reasoning man that was committed to his house and home and the betterment of his corporation. A man with whom she could deal, felt comfortable discussing, and proposing, the Alliance's munitions and energy agreement.

Her stomach didn't stop its incessant clenching with her logic; her worry felt immediate and desperate. Leia shoved it to the back of her mind. Yes, hunches had saved her life at countless opportunities, but realism had always been her closest and most reliable savior. Her somewhat troubling feelings were nothing more than nervousness and excitement at completing her mission.

That's all it was, she thought.

Until she heard the marching.

Stormtrooper armor, while uselessly permeable to blasterfire and detonators, was an essential part of Imperial psychological superiority. A trooper brigade marching up in arms down a thoroughfare was a sign of Imperial domination and power. A very effective demonstration, and one that put citizens into the cowering role the Emperor so desired.

It was also incredibly loud.

Leia had learned that troopers only acted truly disciplined when in the presence of a more intimidating figure.

Which meant –

_Sith._

Her stomach exploded and her lungs failed to gather the oxygen she needed. _He's here. He's with them. They're here._ She put a hand on her stomach and turned her head, looked behind her, beside her, in front of her, desperately trying to maintain respiration and still her stomach's tumultuous churning.

_Where can I go? Can he feel me?_ Leia was unsure about the truth of Vader's powers and prowess with the Force. She only knew that her body was recalling her stay on the Death Star and shaking uncontrollably and that she'd never wished to be more invisible than now.

"Wow. Hey, Rims, look at the soldiers."

Leia glanced to where Ivoen was pointing, a little off to her left, where students were leaning out of windows and speeders were grounded as the white storm of stormtroopers paraded. She quickly ducked her head back after noting the direction and destination of the troopers and searched frantically for an escape route, hand grasping her handbag and lips pressed tight together.

_They could just be patrolling._

Her first instinct was to crawl beneath a parked speeder and hide. Realizing that stormtroopers, while notoriously simple-minded, would be able to find her crying under a speeder, Leia pushed that infantile idea back and concentrated. She could make a beeline back to the dorm, but she'd have to either leave Ivoen or have her call her parents to meet them out back, in which case she'd raise their suspicions. Leia glanced back at the mass, inwardly cringing and outwardly preoccupied.

Then she saw him.

The black armored figure, masked and caped, appeared at the rear of the procession, just a speck among the white tide, at least a head taller than his entourage and appearing to prowl his captivated audience as he passed. Leia quickly turned away. _He'll see through my disguise, he'll know its me, he'll get me again –_

Grabbing Ivoen's hand, Leia re-entered the dorm building, a surprised and dissenting roommate dragging behind her as she crossed the end of the hall and stepped into the stairwell.

"Your parents can't get through that. Tell them to meet us out back."

Ivoen squinted her eyes. "They would have passed soon enough."

"They're inspecting the area. They'll circle around a few times." _Ivoen doesn't know anything about troop movements or reconnaissance work._ "I think. It would take your parents hours to get us."

Looking slightly unsure, Ivoen brought out her comm and relayed the request, all the while staring at Leia. When finished, she threw the comm back in her purse and tilted her head, interrogating her roommate with her eyes. _Like that's going to work on me._ Leia's heartbeat had slowed monumentally, and although still present, the stomach clenching had become ten times more bearable, making her feel once again in control.

A position she knew _very_ well.

"Look, Ivoen. You know when you asked me about my parents? Do you remember what I told you?"

Ivoen's expression noticeably softened. "Yeah. Your dad was killed by – " She stopped, jaw clenching. "That's why you were – right. Sorry. I completely forgot."

"So if I freak out a little – "

"Yeah. I know." She looked down at the stairs and then back up suddenly, a timid smile creeping along her face. "You ready for this?"

"Your parents?" At Ivoen's nod, Leia laughed a little herself. "Why? Is there something I should know?"

"Mmm, you know, my dad would go ecstatic if you mentioned his company in his presence. Like a compliment or something? He's not egocentric or anything, but it'd help him trust you. It's called GansCorp. Think you can remember that?"

_You have no idea._ "Yeah, probably. Maybe. We'll see."

* * *

"Oh, Ivoen, baby! You've lost weight – darling, I told you to eat, don't you eat anything around here? Do they _feed_ you?"

Ivoen was currently somewhere between her mother's neck and arms, squeezing breaths from over Mrs. Sorreh's shoulder as Leia politely stood aside and dreaded the moment when the attention would be turned toward herself.

"Elaep, please, let the girl breathe."

Leia turned to inspect the man standing behind her and found a rather tall and thickly-built man with dark facial hair and kindly brown eyes. Leia stepped back as she offered her hand to Ivoen's father – who introduced himself as Leorime, Leori for short – and found herself uniquely drawn to the man. Exchanging pleasantries and small talk as she loaded her small bag into the storage area of the red speeder, Leia found it difficult to stick to her cover story.

Leori looked like her father.

Leori acted like her father.

She could almost fool herself into thinking that, perhaps, Leori _was_ her father, albeit with a lower income and a more business mind than political. It was these slight differences that solidified her position and slowly allowed her to concentrate on being Rimmas Stribur. _Rimmas didn't have a father named Bail Organa. Rimmas didn't adore and admire her adopted, although fully paternally-minded, mentor. Rimmas wouldn't act so – _

So happy. To meet a man who resembles the last crowned prince of Alderaan.

"Why Rimmas?"

"My father never told me. He'd said it was a name my mother had chosen, maybe after some long-lost relative or something. I never asked him again and he never brought it up, so I was never really interested."

He stretched out his back while negotiating the roads. "And you're from IE, correct?"

"Yes, sir, near the equator on the southern continent. Dneltrup City."

"Ah. And have you ever vacationed in Rivaucnev?"

_Right. In all the vacationing I've done in the past year._ "No, sir."

"Well, you are in for a surprise, my dear. Nowhere near the metropolitan gargantuans of Itets-Enuzore or Dneltrup Cities, but a relatively civilized area, nonetheless."

"I look forward to it."

"Oh, Leori, dear, don't be so dreadfully boring!" Mrs. Sorreh twisted around in her seat. "How are you liking the university, dear?"

Leia glanced at Ivoen. "I'm surviving."

"Rims had a really tough debate today, okay, Mom?"

"Whatever on?"

Leia spoke up before Ivoen said something awful to her mother. _Be appreciative that you have parents to annoy you, dear._ "It was in Contemporary Concerns. Rebellion against Empire."

Mr. Sorreh spared a glance back with interest. "You chose a side?"

"Dad!"

"No, we were assigned." Leia put a hand on Ivoen's shoulder. "I debated Empire."

A noncommittal _mmm_ ended the discussion as Ivoen relaxed and continued her perusal of the blurred scenery outside the speeder and Leia stared at her hands, clasped royally at the knees. She rearranged her limbs and leaned back against the seat, allowing herself to relax and revel in childlike memories that Ivoen's father rekindled. The resemblance was enough to stir trust in the man; Leia's more rational mind screamed at her to ignore the subtle warmth that flooded her. _Just because an older man has dark hair and brown eyes, you think he's worthy of your trust? Get real, Organa._

But as she observed the ingrained instinct to re-cross her legs and re-clasp her hands in the presence of that dark haired, brown-eyed father figure, Leia let herself drown in the relatively safe feeling of family.

"Rimmas, dear, has Ivoen done anything social in the past weeks? I keep telling her that – "

"Mom!"

" – _important_ to meet people, meet men. Oh! Rimmas, does Ivoen have a boyfriend? Is that what this is about?"

Leia chuckled at Ivoen's burst of embarrassed indignation and debated between taking the Sorreh's side or Ivoen's.

"Not that I know of, Mrs. Sorreh – "

"Oh, please call me 'Mom'."

" – but I know she's been trying _really_ hard to get one. Parties, dates and things like that. Oh, Ivoen is _so_ social, you wouldn't believe it – "

Leia decided that perhaps she wouldn't survive the trip if Ivoen continued to glare at her the way she was right then.

* * *

Grr . . . I _hate_ this chapter . . .

Oh, and **Happy 20th Birthday** to me! Yay!

KR


	14. Fourteen

**_Chapter Twelve Responses:_**

**SUP3R G1R: **I love Han. Always have. Always will. ;)

**SailorLeia: **Thank you! Han/Leia interaction is _always_ a joy to write!

**Aladailey: **Ah, well. Many readers seem to want to know that. :) Yes, Ivoen will eventually find out -- hoping for a Will moment from the first season of Alias. We'll see how it goes!

**Summers2004: **Nah, Leia's got Han. What could possibly go wrong in that scenario:)

**Saber Girls: **Sarcasm and irony are certainly in abundance in this story. Thanks for reading!

**Hananiah: **I always thought that was why the two of them worked: they're more alike than they realized and both know that pity won't solve their individual problems. :)

**Trout: **A larger plot? Oh, well, I'll get going on it right now . . . :)

**Angryteabag: **Actually, I'm quite awful at the mushy romance junk . . . it winds up being more mental mush than physical and I'm not that keen on writing the physical anyway! Glad you liked that chapter, though!

**Clare: **A bit longer of a wait, but here's another!

**Mirax Myra Terrik: **You don't have to make up for anything - I appreciate reviews when you can give them, but don't worry about it. I lurk a lot and I know its hard sometimes to say positive things! Thanks for your kind words, though!

**Ophelia-Eternal: **Well, I do have a thing for Lucas, so . . . :)

**_Chapter Thirteen Responses:_**

**Trinity Day: **Why, thank you! I'm glad you think I've done Leia justice. :)

**Sailor Leia: **There's actually quite a few H/L fans our age, have you noticed? I always thought I was alone in my generation of SW AniAmi fanatics. :)

**Aladailey: **Yes, you're absolutely right that it was a filler. That's why I hated it. :) Thanks!

**Ophelia-Eternal: **Stormtroopers have started to creep me out after watching ROTS. Maybe that's just me . . .

**HSG: **Nope. Not a teen. And _very, very _happy about it!

**SuP3R G1R: **Maybe this one'll be a bit better? Thanks for reading!

**Summers2004: **Thanks! Leia's sense of family is skewed a bit, so it's been fun to think of ways to play with that. Unfortunately, it is time to move on to the actual plot of the story, so it'll only be a bit of the incongruities I've thought about.

**Sarge1: **_Another _almost twenty-year-old! See, **Sailor Leia**? They do exist! Thank you for your extremely kind words - they really translate into a huge ego boost for me. Thanks!

**Clare: **Thank you!

**Trout: **Yeah, yeah. Action. Right. Hey, it's like an hour until you're picking me up! How exciting is that?

**Okay, people. Here's the next chapter . . . **

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Leia soon understood why every pilot, mechanic, receptionist, foot trooper, defense guard, aide, and High Council member she knew complained about a neurotic family life. Everyone had one.

Ivoen was no different.

The Sorrehs were treating their guest to a home-cooked meal, a novelty of the residence, it seemed. Mrs. Sorreh was currently in a razed state of keening, a woman of incredible societal value rendered useless in the kitchen. Leia had attempted to give her aid, but was rebuffed through the older woman's sobs and wailings and was politely asked to take a seat and enjoy the view. How anyone could attempt to enjoy anything among the racket that woman was making Leia didn't know, but she posed half-heartedly at one pane of the expansive viewport and blew what she hoped was a whimsical sigh.

Surrounded by ocean and supported by stilts, the Sorreh's vacation home reminded Leia of the rain-spattered cities of Kamino – albeit in a distant, kindlier way. Unlike Kamino, Rivaicnev City spanned across a durasteel bridge to the nearby continent; selected few citizens were given permission to build stilted homes, most circular, with a view of both land and ocean and the luxury of unrestricted building space. The less fortunate resided upon the landed mass and worked the various tourist centers of the shoreline. Leori was correct about the size of the town – they'd sped through it, although Ivoen assured her the outlaying centers were nearby and the trip was to include a quick hop to the northern-most center for "recreational delights", as Mrs. Sorreh said. Leia only hoped "recreational delights" didn't include a stay at anything remotely akin to a kitchen – one droid-unassisted meal by Mrs. Sorreh was quite enough.

"Fortunately, she doesn't do this often," a deep voice said behind her. "It's only for exceptional company that she attempts these culinary debacles. Irony loves the Sorrehs, it seems."

Leia turned to look at Leori, upon whose face a slight smile had appeared. "I'm certainly happy to be considered 'exceptional company', but this really isn't necessary."

"I know." He was silent for a moment, and Leia turned toward the pane again, almost closing her eyes as a particularly loud sob carved through the quiet. Leori sighed. "You have my most sincere apologies, Rimmas."

She turned again. "Why?"

"The only part of this meal more painful than the preparation will be the meal itself." The secretive smile appeared again. "Apologies."

Leia laughed. "I've had worse, I assure you." _Ration bars, dried bantha, crusted nerf . . . welcome to the Rebellion . . . eventually we'll be eating ice chips from sheer ration rationing, just wait . . ._ "Nothing can shock me."

"Mmm, well, it's a particular gift that woman has. You'll see."

Leia almost winced. _This is going to be a long weekend. I can feel it already._

Leia had long ago given up her attempts to enumerate her euphemisms for the dining experience. She'd spent the first half an hour in deep conversation, simultaneously scrounging her brain for the proper word to describe Mrs. Sorreh's well-meaning meal. She tried "interesting", saw that it was too obviously derisive. Then "nice" crept in, but she'd never liked anything "nice" before. "Fantastic"? "Incredible"? "Perfect"?

_I'm not a good enough liar for this. _

How in the galaxy did I ever get elected to the Senate if I can't even lie to my roommate's mother?

Leia felt her stomach twinge and wondered if maybe Mrs. Sorreh had unwittingly poisoned the number three most wanted being in the Empire. She put her utensil on the plate and sat back, watching the Sorrehs to see what the reaction would be, feeling completely incompetent and at a loss for her magic euphemism.

Leori nodded toward his wife. "Elaep, I think you've outdone yourself here. Really, ingenious work with the vegetables, dear. I've never seen them quite that shade of vermillion."

Leia coughed into her napkin, let the cloth hide her grin, as Mrs. Sorreh took the compliment in the calculated way with an enormous exhalation and a bright smile. _That's talent, that is._ She lowered her eyes as she nodded her affirmation and stood up, dusting of her pants, and inquired as to the sleeping arrangements.

"We've only got the two rooms, I'm sorry, dear, did you want your own room, because I'm sure we can figure out something, I'm _so_ sorry, dear, will you ever forgive me, I'm just _mortified_ – "

"Elaep. Quiet. I'm sure you didn't mean to cause an entire furniture rearrangement session, did you, Rimmas?"

She laughed lightly. "Not by any means. I'm perfectly fine sleeping in the same room as Ivoen."

"Yeah, Mom, Rims and I are used to it by now. Don't have a fit, okay?"

Mrs. Sorreh busied herself anyway, throwing a plethora of heavy blankets on both Leia and Ivoen's beds, fluffing already enormous pillows, checking the room temperature continually as if the walls were threatening to freeze them all by morning. Leia wasn't sure she'd ever seen a woman of such high capacity to both disgust and enamor her own child; Ivoen looked on the verge of exploding by the mere mention of her comfort or necessities.

Eventually, Ivoen managed to get her mother to vacate the room by pushing her physically away from the beds and wrenching the small environdroid out of the older women's hands. With a huffed "goodnight", Ivoen jumped onto one of the beds, moaning under her breath and flinging her hair over her face with a jerk of her head.

"Just two minutes. Two minutes without an overly embarrassing question about my social life. Two minutes without a . . . a 'dear' or the word 'mortified' or . . . I don't know . . . are all mothers like this?"

Leia grinned. "I wouldn't know."

"Right. Sorry. I just . . . maybe it's because I'm living on my own now. I don't need her and I don't want to need her and – you don't understand what I'm saying at all, do you?" She sighed and paused. "Do you miss them?"

"All the time."

Ivoen sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. "Why is it that we forget pain so easily after we've experienced it? I _know_ I know what it would be like to be alone, but I don't remember ever _feeling_ it."

"That's the nature of grief. Forgetfulness is a blessing."

"So's oblivion."

Leia smiled again as she went to the door. "Oblivion is weakness. Forgetfulness is achievement. Don't wish for something not worth having, Ivoen."

Her roommate glanced at her. "Since when do the two of us spout philosophy?"

"Since you decided you were taking your mother for granted. I'm going to the refresher."

"Gotcha. Go right, right and then left up to the second door in the circular lounge."

"Yeah. And don't do any serious thinking until I come back. Someone's got to watch out for your innocence and naivete." Leia dropped her smile as she exited the room, padding up the hallway as Ivoen had instructed and arrived at the refresher. She'd borrowed a pair of Ivoen's shorts and wore one of Rimmas' lounging shirts, quickly changing into the ensemble and glancing at the mirror as she prepared to brush out her hair. _How strange would it be to wear the earrings to bed?_ Deciding that Ivoen was not above noticing the peculiarities of her roommate's behavior, Leia decided to attach one earring to the inside of her shirt. The other she held in her hand, about to drop it into her bag when she heard a muffled voice, unmistakably male, coming from the wall behind her.

_And Han says_ he _has good luck._

Unfortunately Leia was unable to distinguish the particulars of the conversation. _There's got to be something I can do about that._ She brought the tracer up closer to her eyes and inspected the back. _It's got a frequency charge – here – and a power source – there . . . all I need is a conduit to the comm system and maybe_ . . . Leia looked around the fresher, hoping for a – _yep, there it is_ – intercom hookup. Tearing off the faceplate, Leia eyed the wiring carefully. _Where is my mechanical genius Jedi-in-training? Or my starpilot extraordinaire?_ She sighed in frustration. _When I really need them . . . forget the Death Star rescue, I handled that one almost entirely by myself, I need you guys here_ now . . . Shrugging, Leia closed her eyes and attempted to sort out the schematic in her brain. _Attaching the frequency charge to the conduit there will trigger a reversal in the system flow . . . maybe, there?_ She quickly attached the earring to the conduit and waited for the inevitable loud-pitch squeal.

Which apparently wasn't as inevitable as she thought.

What did erupt from the earring was a clear audio feed into the next room, as well as a tap into the comm call itself, whisper-soft, but intelligible.

"Leorime, should we wait? With Vader here and the city under close surveillance, it'd be impossible to find them."

"What about the rest of the board?"

A small chuckle from the other end. "Does it matter? Imbeciles will vote as they need protection. At least half of them have invested significant funds towards the resistance – playing both sides was guaranteed to catch up with them."

"I agree. But blatant disregard for the Alliance representative? It could trigger a split on the board."

"Would you rather incur an Imperial takeover?"

A pause. "I didn't want the Alliance here at all."

"I know. Vote to get rid of them. There's the chance the Empire will leave as soon as they do."

"It's not that simple."

"It's business. It's as simple or difficult as you make it. Vote."

"The Empire won't leave until they're in control. Or until they think we're Imperial enough to be trusted."

Another pause. "It will be done quickly. Good night."

Leia heard footsteps outside in the hall and a hiss as the master bedroom door closed shut.

_What the hell?_

Sleep was often Leia's best and worst time of the day. If she were lucky, sleep would come quickly and oppressively, leaving no dreams or memories to plague her thoughts. Occasionally Alderaan, Vader, Tarkin, her father congregated in her head while she slept, a rolling blend of heartache and resistance guaranteed to leave her unsettled the next morning, but these were confined to specific times of anniversary or stress, only occasionally a significant deviant to her duties at the Alliance's Base of the Month.

She encountered neither of these scenarios her first night in the Sorreh's vacation home. Wide awake, Leia analyzed the conversation she'd overheard, filtered it through every mental lens she had, scrutinized it endlessly as Ivoen slept across from her. Leori was obviously a businessman, determined to save the independence of his corporation from Imperial takeover. It had nothing to do with loyalties, she told herself.

What worried her more than Leori's words of the night before were those of his partner. _It will be done quickly? What will be done?_ She sighed and sat up in her bed. _How am I going to save this proposal? Is it even worth it now?_ She looked at the chrono, decided it was late enough in the morning to justify actually rising for the day. Grabbing a guest robe, Leia let herself out of the bedroom, leaving Ivoen asleep in her bed, and attempted to navigate her way through the halls towards the dining room.

Some time later, after cursing herself for forgetting that the third left was actually a right and deciding that the hall that looped around to its very beginning was one of the most ridiculous architectural feats she'd ever witnessed, she stumbled onto the holo-room, where Leori sat, cross-legged and attentive, as the business reports flew in from IE City.

Following the preliminary "good-mornings" and reassuring Leori that she had indeed slept soundly and well through the night, she settled herself down in the opposite chair and watched as market estimates and health reports were broadcasted. She was about to rise and grab a cup of caf when the broadcaster announced a Rebellion sympathizer in the University of Itets-Enuzore.

Leia's mind flew through her contingencies, realizing that "find the _Falcon_ and get away" was not the best escape plan she'd ever devised and if Vader was onplanet, her chances of that plan working were next to nothing. She had her comm and her earrings, but the earrings could potentially be traced by the Empire and Vader might not have realized where her backup was; using the comm to request more aid from headquarters was akin to giving an invite to the Imperials to drop by and blow it out of existence.

She was stuck.

_How the hell am I going to get out of here?_

"Krem Nusorreh-Duil is being held for questioning at IE security headquarters under suspicion of resisting Imperial authority and involvement with the Rebel Alliance to Restore the Republic."

_Nusorreh-Duil? My Contemporary Concerns professor?_ She blinked. _Why would they suspect - ?_

She sucked in a breath in understanding. _The debate. He incited Imperial citizens to question the policies of the Empire._

" – arrested earlier this morning following a call from GansCorp Security, allegedly citing Duil's curriculum as evidence of his – "

_GansCorp?_ She looked quickly at Leori, watched him take a calm sip of his caf. _Leori's GansCorp? The company with whom I wish to deal? _

I have a bad feeling about this.

" – Board of Directors has yet to comment – "

_'It will be done quickly . . .' This is what they were discussing last night – a way to satisfy the Imperials enough to leave the board independent control of the corporation, to avoid an Imperial takeover._

She closed her eyes.

" – or the source of the information – "

_I told Leori about the debate. _

I gave him his scapegoat.

This is my fault.

* * *

Dedicated to LL, because I'm an idiot and think my knockoff jokes are amusing. :)

KR


	15. Fifteen

**Ach! **Yes, yes, I dropped off the face of the earth. I know. It's been, oh, two months since I've even touched this thing. It's like it's been infected with some weird disease thing and needed bed rest for a few, uh, days. Right.

I have to hand it to y'all, I've been so impressed with the patience and the wonderful feedback I've received from you. It's a fantastic feeling to know that other talented writers out there care and respect what you believe you're fumbling through. Much, much gratitude to those that leave reviews! I've got a bit more to say about that at the end of this chapter, so that's that for now.

**Limelight: **Well, I greatly enjoyed your response on NQLL and figured I should return the favor by putting you up first as well. :) I adore getting reviews from you -- compliments to characterization are so nice for my ego. I think since I've started reading your reviews, it's doubled in size. Or tripled. Or . . . meh, you don't care. Just know that I value your opinion as a reader greatly, probably more than anyone else's. And I have two fantastic stories by you that I still have yet to review. How awful is that? Geez, if reading without reviewing is a fanfiction sin, good Lord above . . . :) Thank you again, it's a pleasure, as always.

**HSG: **Oh, your sexy studmuffin (Hey! He's mine!) will be appearing in chapter 16, I assure you . . .

**Summers2004: **Ahem. Well, you didn't miss much fanfic on my account, I assure you . . . :) Thanks for your kind words. How was Japan? Was it as uber exciting as I always imagine it to be?

**Aladailey: **"I've got a bad feeling about this" will always be a favorite line of mine. I figure that since it's in the saga like twenty-something times, it should make an appearance somewhere here! Ooh, you've got the right person pegged down to suspect. Keep looking at Leorime. . . Oh, and heroine-like withdrawls? I'm so sorry. Here . . . take a tylenol. Maybe it'll help, er, not. :)

**Sarge1: **Ivoen's mother reminds me of most people's mother. Not mine, but most. :) I think it's in the job description: unendurable physical trauma, unendurable stress during prom night, unendurable torture of children until said children are old enough to begin the cycle anew . . . :)

**Ophelia Eternal: **Thank you! Clones by their very definition are creepy. Eech. It makes my skin crawl just thinking about it . . .

**Starrunner: **Hey! An old school reader! You're not late, just fashionably tardy. Thank you!

**Trout: **Oh, Trout, how I love thee. Shall I count the ways? No seriously. You rock. I almost sent this to you for editing help, but do you know what stopped me? I actually value your opinion too much! Seriously. I was afraid you'd hate it and not know a good way to break it to me, so I didn't. I think that's a sign of security issues, deep psychological scarring or something . . . Oh, well. I wrote it and had boring old Pegatha pour through it. She's such a wimp. :)

**Pegatha: **I love you. Don't hurt me.

**Prudence-Chan: **Leia's Guilty Conscience Board is almost too full. I should give her a clean slate one of these days . . . but wait! She gets _Han Solo_ eventually! As if! I'm not giving her an easy time of it, I assure you. :) Ah, yes, well, Leorime certainly raises some suspicions, doesn't he? Thank you!

**Owphoenix: **I love _my _family. Ivoen's, however . . . Thank you!

**King00Nayr: **You are the most psychotic person I know, you know that:) Ah, I love you anyway. You are still at the top of my list as the strangest review I've ever gotten on these things here, the one about the kiss in "Solo's Girl" and my investigations into that kiss . . . oh, man. Still cracks me up. Once again, I'm so happy you're reading this. It's wonderful getting feedback from people I know actually exist. Well, I guess these other people exist, too, but they could be like seventy-five year-old pedophiles and stuff. Scary. Thanks!

**Jillie Rose: **I'll take actually-rather-goodness in a heartbeat. I've said all along that people are insane to want to read this with the summaries I've written. Yikes. Welcome and I'm glad you sorta think it's okay!

**MLRC: **Oh, more real people. I'm sure you won't click on this again, but, if you do, you suck and should have better things to read than my crap. Like . . . umm, let me see . . . oh, right. Harry Potter. Gah! Shelve this, Farrer :)

**A Lurking Reviewer: **Ah! See, I make sense in my stories! I'm really surprised more people didn't see that coming, but I'm certainly glad you did. Here's a gold star for all your in-depth reading. Kinda. A cyber-gold star. Oh, heck, here's a cyber gold star and a bizillion dollars. There you go! Thank you for your kinds words, I do so appreciate them!

**Anna: **Yay! Han and Leia-ness! I'm such a shipper, it's ridiculous. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

**Trinity Day: **You know, I hate having to write apologies to sincere and fun readers telling them how idiotic of a person I am. I truly am sorry that I've kept you in wait for so long. Trust me, my favorite writers tend to do this to me, too, and I've always sworn that I would never, never, keep a story out of circulation for more than two weeks. Yeah. That worked well. I do so appreciate your review and I thank you for continuing to read, despite my stupidness. :)

**Anarane-Saralonde: **Oh, I know. I couldn't wait to turn eighteen because that was how old Leia was in ANH and for some reason I was excited about that. Maybe I thought I'd meet my Han Solo by now. Sheesh. :) Thanks!

**Solo-Shodan: **I agree! Hopefully in chapter 16 I can get those two in the same room again. :)

**Phoenix Flight: **Thank you!

This is another one of those "Oh, man, I can't believe I'm posting this without another thirty revisions" chapters. Not that I want anyone to leave me unaccountable for the certifiable crap I feel I sometimes dish out to you wonderful people. Honest reviews are most welcome!

But, I guess I'm doing it. Yes, I will, I'm pushing the 'post' button. Yikes!

* * *

The "delights" part of "recreational delights" was highly subjective, Leia decided, depending completely on the species, gender, and age of the participant. 

And their involvement in Ganscorp business affairs.

Not that she hadn't enjoyed the Rivaucnev City aquarium; the sheer magnificence of the admissions price was enough to drop her jaw. And the moving boardwalk had been highly fascinating: fascinating, that is, until she'd been hit in the head by three human brothers tossing Filimian crabs to each other in an effort to get her comm frequency. And the enchanting way the morning meal, afternoon meal, and the evening meal, all procured outside of Mrs. Sorreh's culinary disaster area, were products of the same set of sea creatures to which Leia had quickly discovered she was allergic.

The "recreational delights" may have, at some points in her life, been truly delightful. Ivoen, even while attempting to maintain her adult façade, seemed to be awestruck by the most minute elements of the seaside town. Having spent many, many hours alone here in her younger years, she'd confided in Leia, Ivoen felt herself right in the center of her childhood fantasies and wouldn't go back to the university if it paid her.

At this point, however, Leia felt more like the tossed Filimian crabs than a participant in any activity to which she was subject. With the sudden realization that she had unknowingly sacrificed Krem Nusorreh-Duil to the IE authorities, Leia had found herself intrigued less by "recreational delights" than by her own guilt. Careful not to let her self-loathing show, she playacted the part of Rimmas Stribur as the Sorreh's attempted vacation and kept watch for new information at all times.

And kept a clear, open eye on Leorime Sorreh.

That, after all, was quickly becoming Priority Number One.

"Rimmas, are you planning on swimming?"

Leia looked up at the inquiring tone of Mrs. Sorreh, and then at the large expanse of blue behind the older women's back. _Swimming? _A quick glance at the not-very-public, restricted pool insured that, while relatively desolate, there was nonetheless a small supply of humans frolicking – a word Leia was sure she would have _never _used were the circumstances not so similar to what had passed for royal frolicking at the House Organa – within the water.

She hurried her eyes back to the Ivoen's mother, whose gaze had softened and melted at the sight of Leia's apparent horror. "Oh, dear, I didn't mean to be so heartless! You _do _know how to swim, don't you, dear?"

_Why, no, actually, if it'll get you off my back. _"Well – "

"Because I have taught beginning aquatics at the center for years! In fact, that's how Leorime and I met, it was so lovely – "

"Well, actually – "

" – and, anyway, perhaps you'd like a quick lesson? It would take hardly any time at all, and I'd be happy to get the training equipment out, it'll just take a second – "

"It's quite alright, Mrs. Sorreh. I can swim just fine, really." _No way you're coming near me with any 'equipment', you old, overzealous, deranged bat – _

"Good, you'll be needing a set of swimwear, of course?"

Leia closed her eyes and envisioned how Solo would react should he ever find out what exactly she'd worn during this particular part of her vacation. _He'd take a holo and mount it in the mess. _And _the hangar. _And _the hallways. _"I'm not really interested in – "

"Oh, nonsense. Evander's here has some fabulous designs for a petite little thing like you. They'll be thrilled to have us back again – we've spent quite the pretty credit here through the years – "

Leia sighed and breathed deeply, determined not to do anything rash. Ivoen might notice if her mother wound up deceased by way of an Alderaani stronghold-turned-deathclamp.

* * *

After securing the comm earrings in her purse under the heavy guard of Leorime's half-awake security, Leia had stepped into the water and was promptly assaulted by images of Aldera's white lilies floating past her study and the scent of honeytigris that crept through her open skylight as she fell asleep, soft hands stroking like silk over her brow and a deep, reassuring voice conveying that calm smile hindered only by the quiet crease of wrinkles around deep brown eyes – 

She snapped her eyes open – _what the hell has happened to my focus lately? – _to find Ivoen looking at her. "Never swam in it before?"

Leia shook her head. "What is it?"

"Intropica. Really rare, I guess. This is the only place I've ever been that's had it." She watched Leia's inspection of the water with an amused expression on her face. "Like a drug, right? It's supposed to make you remember. Good things, too. I've never heard of anyone _disliking_ the Intropica."

"Right." Leia, keeping a wary eye towards the pool, drifted closer to Ivoen. "How do you know what it is?"

Ivoen shrugged. "Did a report on it a few years ago in prep school. There was some controversy over this lawsuit, I guess. Some guy became addicted to the hibridium in it or something – "

"What did you say?" _What?_

"Hibridium." Leia and Ivoen looked up at the young man leaning over the side of the pool, beverage glasses in hand. "Its hibridium, but hardly anyone knows that." He gave a cheeky grin. "Nice to see some brains with the scenery. Can I get a couple of names along with the good impression?"

_Hibridium?_

Ivoen looked sharply at him. "We didn't invite you into the conversation."

"Trust me, your floundering was as good as an invitation." He squinted one eye in amusement and smiled again. "Now that we're done with the poetics, I'll offer some more wisdom. My name's Jakobi."

Ivoen glanced at Leia.

Leia watched Ivoen.

Jakobi stared at both of them. "And this is where – "

"My name is Jui," Leia spoke up. _Tell me how the hell you've got your hands on hibridium. _"We are pleased to meet you Jakobi."

"And my name is – " Ivoen looked at Leia pleadingly, and then cleared her expression. "My name is Jai."

Leia wanted desperately to interrogate Jakobi, and he apparently took her cue as he plopped unceremoniously beside the pool and stuck a hand in the water. "Guests love the Intropica. Rivaucnev Resort is, of course, the only facility within one hundred kilometers to have the hibridium permit." He tried the grin again. "We're the best around, as I'm sure you've noticed."

"Why does this place have a hibridium permit?"

He looked at her, one eye squinted against the glare of the sun. "I don't have any idea. I'm a waiter-in-training. They only consult us about the _really _important decisions."

Ivoen blinked. "Like what?"

"Oh, what Ithorian garnishes to put in the Eyeblasters, is the tie above the left, right, or center button, you know – "

"Right, but the hibridium, Jakobi?" Leia cleared her throat. "If it's Garos IV-mined, it would cost a fortune to ship it here. Why spend that much on a relaxant for guests?"

Jakobi raised his eyebrows as Ivoen narrowed her eyes in Leia's reaction. Leia ignored it. "It's not shipped. Mined all along the coast."

_How – _"That's impossible."

"Apparently not. Bosses subcontract all the time. On the quiet, of course." Jakobi vaguely waved a hand towards the ocean. "Guess they don't want anyone else getting a hand in the industry. Hey, Jai, you want a Whyren's Reserve? My treat, of course – "

Leia pushed Ivoen back with her hand. "Hibridium isn't found anywhere other than Garos IV." _I would have heard about it if it was. _"It must be shipped from offworld."

"Rims, ah, Jui – "

"Look, I don't know what you're accusing me of here. My brother has been mining it here, _onworld_, for like five years."

" – maybe we should go." Ivoen was tugging on Leia's hand.

"No. Go away." Leia locked her gaze on Jakobi's. "Who else knows about the hibridium mines here?"

"How should I know?"

"What mining company does this resort contract?"

"What's it to you?"

Leia took a quick look around. _Where'd Ivoen go? _"What's the company?"

Still seeming unsure, Jakobi wiped a hand through his hair and stood up. "The biggest one, the one my brother works for, is called FuraCom. That's all I know. Let your sister know that she can comm me whenever she wants. You – " He pointed at Leia " – you stay away."

_Hibridium. If the Alliance could get their hands on a live mine – _

* * *

Spaceflight was, most species agree, the most important discovery in the relatively recent past. The ability to rove between planets, then solar systems, then the span of an entire galaxy, brought individual outposts of life into a new phase of understanding and civilization only dreamt of in previous generations. 

Here they had the ability to move past cultural differences and begin a new era of peaceful coexistence between each and every civilized outcropping.

Yet, as inevitably happens, peace digressed into misunderstandings digressed into painful misconceptions digressed into war. By the very invention of spaceflight, and the rather ingenious development of lightspeed, civilization brought about its most civilized stage – that of war and genocide – and newer and newer models of civilization were invented.

Spaceflight, sublight and hyperspace, evolved as well.

For now the ability to hide oneself in the warship one commanded had become a top priority for all concerned. Hiding an individual was mere child's play. Hiding an entire starship – a fighter, a freighter, a destroyer, what have you – from shipboard scanners was, after all, civilized.

The first foray into cloaking device development was relatively successful, but, as with many fine technological advancements of its time, its debut onto the galactic scene was lost by the end of the Clone Wars. And then an extremely intelligent but sadly, and predictably, uncredited being found an alternative resource to create the newest pinnacle of cloaking device technology.

Hibridium.

Unstable though it was, it was another step toward a more progressed and civilized age, an era in which, sadly, warfare was still considered a necessary delight. Both sides worked the mineral, both sides failed to stabilize it. And so they both declared defeat and attempted to divine finer and better manners in which to kill themselves and set the device to the back recesses of their wartables. Not off the table. Just to the back.

Away from the clutter of manslaughter and civilization.

But not forgotten.

* * *

"Got a question for ya, Jace." 

"Yeah?"

"'member the class project I did that one time, like, six months ago?" _Remember, Han, remember! _"About the ship thingies and, oh man, what were they called? You helped me with it – "

"Six months ago?"

_C'mon. Think. _"Uh-huh. In like history or something. The guys were trying to make that one ship disappear or whatever. It was a big deal and we didn't get a very good grade on it, remember, because I lost the name of the stuff that they were using?"

"_Hibridium_," she heard him whisper. "Stang, sweetheart, we spent forever on that thing. Did you find stuff you could have used for it?"

_Thank the gods Han Solo can read my mind. _"Yep. Lots of it. Right here."

"Gotcha. I'll see you soon. Take care, you."

Her face flushed. "Yeah. Later."

* * *

**My quick plead, ladies and gentlemen: **A few days ago, my friend and I were discussing the hit counter that one finds under the new format. In case you aren't a registered author on this website, the hit counter gives us, the authors, a partly skewed but educational idea of how many of you are actually reading our stories compared rather drastically with the number of reviews we receive. 

As you read stories that you enjoy or believe are written well or that are characterized perfectly, keep in mind that these authors spend a great many hours working hard to present these fics to you and they can see how many people are reading them (kinda) with the inclusion of the hit counters. Be thoughtful, please. Even a "good work" review suffices for the time being. Make it a habit to congratulate and encourage these authors. _Especially_ the younger and newer authors, who are so excited for even three thoughtful reviews.

Your input is valued greatly. Keep it up!

Thank you!

KR


	16. Sixteen

**LL: **Yo, homegirl. (I'm getting creative in ways to address you. Oh Holy NQLL-Author seems a bit over-the-top, wouldn't you say? Although, since you can't wear hats any longer, perhaps a crown would be a better fit? Jeez, this is getting more and more random as the year goes on, isn't it?) KR joins in Jig-like flailing. You know, we suck at this. We should probably just stick to writing. Oh, and I can't take credit for the hibridium - I looked it up in the unofficial encyclopedia on tfn. I'm not that good. :) And I'm also glad you find Han's actions and words semi-romantic - thank goodness it came across that way. I don't want him seeming like a wimp or un-Solo-like, and I thought maybe that's how his lines might come across. Good! That makes me feel better! Score!

Thanks again!

KR

**Jillie Rose: **Aw, thank you! I'm glad you like Han . . . he'll be around here soon, I promise. :)

**GreatOne: **Now, now - you said mean things to me at the JC, too! Be nice, Mary! Ha-ha.

**dm1: **Yeah, Leia's grammar has been completely lost. Poor girl can't use those long years of Princess-elocution lessons on this mission! Thanks for your kind words, they mean so much to me!

**HSG: **Hey, now! I've was lusting after Han when you were still speaking in half-sentences, young lady! Plus . . . we can share him. Right:)

**Trout: **Squee! I love you! You're my hero. And, once again, I'm going to see a movie with you in about an hour. How fun is that?

**Peach: **Thank you! Good to have you on board!

**ccp: **Glad you're enjoying! Thank you!

**Ellina: **Unfortunately, I had one teeny, tiny plot point that extended while I was writing it - I can't get Han and Leia back together yet. And I'm dying to write banter so bad,it's ridiculous! But my first priority is to get the plot out, human sections come and go as the plot develops. :) I'm so glad you like the H/L, though! Thank you for your kind words!

**Dimonah Tralon: **Yes, Leia's got it rough in this one. I'm glad you're enjoying!

**Nebulia: **Thanks for agreeing with me on the hit counter - that blasted thing is disheartening! And it did not take as long for me to update this time. Yay! My goal is to always have a very productive chapter to give when I update, and the last one refused stubbornly to cooperate. I'm sorry you had to reread, and I hope I never abandon it the same way again, but I'll hold my ground in that I needed my time towrite the best chapter I could. Thanksfor your kind words, though! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment!

**Monja: **Thanks for giving it a shot! I repeat this over and over again to my newer readers: the summary is off-putting. It seems like a newbie piece of work by the way it's presented. I completely understand that and don't begrudge the people who come in late! We love you here! Thanks for your kind words!

**KariHP: **Glad I made you happy! Thank you!

**Ophelia-Eternal:** Good Lord, the plot has gotten _too _intricate for me. I keep a dry-erase board to help me remember who's who and where their loyalties are and who they work for and . . . Thank you! By the way, am I safe in assuming you're a _Hamlet_ fan?

**MatrixSailorStarKnightZ: **You have no idea how much I blushed when I read your pacing comment. That made my day, thank you! Glad to have you aboard!

**Aladailey: **Oh, bad retirement homes! Preventing you from reading! Shame, shame. :) Oh, Leia's thrilled to know about the hibridium, but she doesn't know some things that might not make her so happy . . . How's that for cryptic? Thank you!

**Ana:** Cringes Not for at least another chapter. I'm sorry. So, so sorry. This had to be written, though, or the H/L scenes wouldn't make any sense. Thanks for reading!

**Reading Redhead: **Thank you for reading! I appreciate it greatly!

**Felicis: **Glad I could make you remember the good ol' college days! Thanks for reading!

**Linnath: **Oh, thank you! Leia's personality is loosely based on my own, so I like that you liked it!

**Clare: **It's because LimeLight and I are actually the same person . . . we just pretend to be from two different countries. ;) I'm kidding of course, but that would be amusing still. Thanks!

**Deesse-Selene: **Ooh, French! You were fine, I can read it perfectly. :) Thank you!

**Brittany: **Mine, too! Thank you!

**So, here we are. Chapter 16. **

**Thanks muchly to my reviewers . . . I adore reading them and they motivate me to write more, so thanks to you! **

**Special announcement! August 24 is my first anniversary as a fanfic author. Yay me! As for this story, we're getting into some serious stuff, but I assure you: the college stuff is not quite finished. As is Han/Leia. I will have them in the same room again. I promise. **

**Without further ado, may I present . . . **

**

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**

Leia found her roommate after twenty minutes of searching, sitting on a bench on the other side of the refreshment cabana, glass of water gripped tightly in both hands, knuckles whitening and the skin around her eyes tightening as Leia came closer. Leia didn't say anything, assuming that Ivoen would have her say and then she and Leia could sneak some more information out of another worker, or maybe a guest –

_Well, sneaking might be considered a relative phrase here. _

Perhaps, Leia reflected, she could have been softer in her hibridium discussion with Jakobi. _Discussion? _She grimaced. _It was borderline interrogation. _But it was a small price to pay for a hibridium lead, and he would get over it. No harm would come to him – he was a _waiter_, after all, and –

"Have you ever had this feeling that you were missing something?" Ivoen's eyes were glued to the floor, but her voice betrayed her anger. "Something huge, enormous, stellar. It's like right in front of you, and you can't see it because you're so blind you refuse to acknowledge it. It's so obvious though –"

Leia eyed her with growing unease.

"Look, I don't know what your deal is. I'm tired of hearing the same excuses for your, uh . . . _subhuman_ behavior. You have this enormous intelligence, but you freak out over a few stormtroopers. You're so aware of everything around you, but one word about your family or past makes you shut down completely. And I don't get it. I don't see the connections here, Rims, and it's driving me crazy."

_It's driving _you _crazy?_

"I have this awful feeling like you don't trust me. But that's so ridiculous, because I've lived with you for three weeks now, and I can tell you how your socks are organized in the bottom left-hand drawer or . . . or how early you get up to get all that hair of yours up into that braided ponytail thing you wear it in, but I can't read you at all. Why is that, Rims? "

Leia was quiet, assuming it was all rhetorical. But inside –

_How does she know? What does she know? I've been careful, I've been safe – _

"I'm your friend. You can tell me."

_Tell you? Right. Tell you that your father works for a company with whom I spent three months setting up a meeting?_

"It's so infuriating!"

_Tell you that if I don't get the ammunitions deal, the Empire might get it, the Empire I've been fighting far longer than I care to admit?_

"And if today's any indication, I don't think I have any idea who you really are, anyways – "

_Tell you that the being – not the man, the being – who tortured me, destroyed my home planet and everything I knew_ _– is on-planet with a couple hundred minions, all with my name and holo fixed into their memories from the latest Imperial Wanted Docket?_

" – how insensitive you can be – "

_Tell you that I can't trust your father because he sacrificed an innocent professor to keep the Empire out of his business affairs?_

" – so wrapped up in Introtropica and hibridium – "

_Tell you that the man you think is my boyfriend is actually a smuggler who has been sitting on his ship for the past three weeks with a Jedi-in-training and the real Rimmas Stribur, waiting for a chance to get me out of here and back to my happy little Rebel Alliance base?_

"So just _tell _me, whatever it is you think you're hiding well. Because you're not, and I'm tired of it."

"Ivoen." Leia kept her eyes on Ivoen's, even as the girl began an in-depth investigation of the wall behind Leia. "I'm not hiding anything – no. Listen to me." She waved off Ivoen's objection. "I know I'm messed up. But you know what?" Ivoen shook her head, eyes still on the wall. "I'm working on it."

"No, see that's the kind of thing that I _hate_, Rims. You explain everything away in that voice, like nothing I say is of any concern to you whatsoever."

Leia blinked. _Since when do you pull your punches, Ivoen? _"What do you mean?"

Ivoen squared her shoulders and brought her eyes back to Leia's. "Who was your father?"

"You know who my father was."

"No. What was he like?"

_What the – _"My dad? He was male and tall and he worked and paid taxes. And why do you care?"

"Because you always turn it around back onto me. I'll ask about your dad and we'll wind up talking about my family. Or psychology. Or the damn weather, I don't know!" She looked ready to shatter her water glass, right arm lifted slightly, eyes ablaze. Then they softened and her biceps stopped flexing and she suddenly seemed in control. "You're manipulative. And you lie, and – "

Leia furrowed her brow in frustration. "Lie? When have I ever lied to you?" _That you know of, at least. _

"Do you remember the first day we met, at the cafeteria? You left to talk to Jace and then met me back after? And I asked you how you knew about Coruscanti breadcake?"

Leia had a vague recollection of that day, most of which involved keeping an eye out for the man who had been tailing her at the marketplace. "Yeah."

"You said it was because you grew up next to a marketplace and that your mother bought it for you. She died when you were six, right?"

_I mentioned that _once. _This is like fighting with Winter. _"Yes. Can we please not discuss this?"

"No. So then your father picked up the pieces and raised you, all by himself, an architect with a big secret job, apparently, because you're _convinced_ he was killed by the Empire."

"Well – "

"You told me all this the first afternoon I met you. But you have _no_ quaint family stories or neat recollections to share." She blinked. "At all. The first thing anyone tells anyone is _who _their family is. I told you how annoying my mother was, where my father worked, all that. You didn't say a word. It's like you're constantly reading from a report someone else wrote about you."

Ice slowly trickled down into Leia's fingers. They bunched and made fists, and she could feel her back muscles slowly begin to tense.

"And _then _there're your nightmares that I ignore but can't forget. I can understand why you might be psychologically damaged enough to _have _nightmares, but you say weird things. Names. Whatever. And when I ask you about them, you blow me off and switch the subject."

"If you _understand_, then why – "

"_And _you have strange obsessions.

"What?"

"Come on. You know more about modern warfare than anyone else I know. I heard Tiregrem Sollew talking – you showed up the teacher on the first day of Contemporary Concerns. _And _you knew about Imperial troop movements when we were leaving the dorm." She blew out her breath. "That is not _normal_, Rims."

"It's my _major_ – "

"No," Ivoen interrupted. "Political Science is your major, which you defend with your dying breath. History and Military Strategy are _not_."

"I have a good memory."

Ivoen, seeming to gather courage as the conversation progressed, snorted. "So do I. I remember things like your little interrogation session twenty minutes ago. Between your absolute need to know everything about my father and his company to your obsession with rare metals from Garos IV, I'm finding that I remember you defending yourself very little."

"What's to defend? I'm just strange." _If I hail Han again, I've got maybe an hour before he gets here and I could hide for maybe – _

"No. _I'm _weird. I know what its like to be odd. But being a psychological mess is not the same as that and _hiding _is different from a damaged psyche."

– _or if I maybe stole the Sorreh's speeder I could meet the _Falcon _closer to – _"Nothing from what you said proves that I'm hiding anything."

Ivoen shook her head and the flush in her cheeks settled back to her normal color. "I'm not trying to prosecute you here, Rims. I'm just worried that you're messing with someone or something that you shouldn't be."

_No kidding. _"I'm not part of a spice ring or an intergalactic smuggler's group, if that's what you mean."

"Yes. But maybe you aren't who you say you are?" It came out as a question, the tail end flipped up to show Leia how nervous Ivoen actually was to hear the answer. But Ivoen appeared determined to know everything anyway, which was not a possibility – Leia refused to compromise Ivoen's safety that way – but a persistent desire all the same. _She'd be able to help. _Obviously, Ivoen had a memory that was dangerously close to perfect, and Leia knew from experience how helpful that could be, how essential in moments not just of political importance, but undercover work as well. _She could make this whole contract ten times easier for me, identifying Imperial Intel, board members, potential allies – _

But involving Ivoen at the point would mean revealing her identity and telling her of her father's deception regarding Professor Nusorreh-Duil, which Leia felt completely unprepared to do. _What's the best way to destroy someone's concept of her parent?_ And who knew where Ivoen's loyalties were anyway? Perhaps Ivoen was a willing participant in her father's scheming, in which case revealing herself would put a damper on her plan to at least live until she turned twenty. And while it was a far cry – imagining Ivoen at the center of Ganscorp's intricate political finagling was threatening to dispel the seriousness of the situation – it was a possibility Leia had better consider.

No, it was better to keep the secret to herself.

Leia sighed. "I'm not involved in anything." She paused. "And nothing I say will convince you of it, either."

Ivoen was silent a moment, focused on the water glass in her hands, turning it in the sunlight. When she spoke, her voice was delicate, as if it, as well as any confidence she'd ever possessed, would shatter with the effort of speaking. "I can't in good faith sit here for the next eight months and expect to find out from the _news _who you really are."

Leia exhaled and closed her eyes. _She's caught me. _If life before had been difficult, living with Ivoen now would be next to impossible. _She remembers more than I thought. She'll figure out the details. She's halfway there now. _And if Leia waited, there was the possibility that, when Ivoen discovered her true purpose at the university, she would tell her father out of a misguided sense of betrayal."Ivoen." She opened her eyes to see Ivoen staring over her shoulder. _Han, better start running. And fast._ "Perhaps there is something I should – "

"Excuse me?"

Leia's eyes widened as a melodious female voice broke through her explanation. _Impeccable timing. I hate you already, whoever you are. _She ducked her head, feeling a braid start to loosen as she turned toward the voice, catching a glimpse of bright blue eyes before the image coalesced. In front of her stood –

_Oh, hell. This is going to get interesting._

* * *

**Alrighty then. Reviews are fantastic . . . :)**

**KR**


	17. Seventeen

**LL: **Hola. Hmm. Stribur, eh? ;) You'll find out right now. Lol about avoiding plot - I once told myself that I would never, ever write a story longer than four chapters long for that exact same reason. And, btw, I see major plot in NQLL- have a little confidence woman! Right. Taking my own advice . . . Ah, yes, I could take credit for hibridium, but then someone would give me five reasons why I'm wrong and why hibridium is actually the name of Han Solo's first girlfriend or something. And then I'd get mad and say something mean and would no longer be able to write ridiculous stories satirizing my college experience.

Okay, I'm tired. G'night.

KR

**Linnath:** Thank you! Glad you liked the cliffie. Oh, and I already claimed Wes - after I kill Mon Mothma, I'm all set. :)

**Reading Redhead: **Ah, glad you caught the holes in Leia's story. Mmm, Rimmas, eh? We'll see. Thanks for reading!

**Peach: **Thank you.

**Dimonah Tralon:** Aw, not too bad of a wait, eh? Thanks for your patience!

**HSG: **No! Not sporks!

**Lady Echo: **I don't think _anyone_ has roommate problems like Leia. Thanks for reading!

**GreatOne: **I'm not evil! I'm giving you the answer right now! ;)

**Hananiah: **Aw, thank you! I appreciate your comments about the character development - a personal weakness of mine, I always thought. So thank you!

**Niraha Skywalker:** Hmm. Luke, eh? Thanks for reading - I appreciate it!

**Trinity Day: **Ding!Ding!Ding! Oh, thank you for writing about Ivoen's suspicions. I've had people telling me interesting things about how Ivoen must be an idiot because she hasn't figured out Leia's identity yet. You see things the way I do about that - so thanks for the backup!

**SUP3R G1R: **I know! But I'm not telling . . . ;)

**Solo-Shodan: **Implode? But I don't want to implode with you! No offense, or anything, but I'd prefer not to implode with anyone . . . :) And the H/L thing? I'm trying, I'm trying! It's getting difficult to get them in the same room together with what I've had planned for a couple of months now. Thanks for reading!

**Clare: **I know! Me, too! But Han's doing his thing and I need him there to dish out the info. I'm sorry! I'd love to write a nice witty chapter dedicated to the burgeoning H/L 'ship, but it's not coming yet. Sorry!

**Nubilia: **Quick update? How's a week and a half?

**Aladailey: **No, no! Don't thwack poor - Ah, ah. You almost made me say it! Ha-ha. I hope this chapteranswers your question about what I think Ivoen knows about Leia. Maybe. I don't know. I write the thing, I don't try to analyze it:) Thanks for reading!

**Jillie Rose: **Ah! A week and a half of waiting. 'Tis all. I think that's good, for me, at least. Thanks for reading!

**Summers2004: **I'm glad Japan was awesome. I want to travel there so badly, but I think it's on the backburner for a bit. I'm going to Russia next May and checking out the possibility of spending next fall in Oxford, but . . . Japan's up there! Here's the next chapter - hope the wait wasn't too long. And welcome back!

**Mirax Myra Terrik: **I know I'm cruel. I'm sorry. But at least I'm easing the cliffie by updating sooner rather than later, right?

**King00Nayr: **Actually, I write more during the school year. Isn't that interesting? Ha. How's life as we go back into classes (urgh)? I'm still so behind on your HP fic. I'm sorry! It's terrible, knowing you should be reviewing more often and oftentimes completely forgetting to even read the stories. Yuck. Thanks for continuing the reading. I appreciate it. And yay for classes!

**The last chapter I wrote - the one with the awful cliffhanger - would not have been posted without the lovely assistance of my second beta-on-call, Hold-Out Trout, who does marvelous things to otherwise hopeless stories. No, I won't marry you Trout, but I can give you Pegatha as a consolation prize. Is that good:)**

**Today is my first anniversary for writing and publishing fanfic! Hooray!**

**To celebrate, I'll ease your minds about the mysterious stranger . . . enjoy!**

**

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**

There were three essential guidelines to an undercover op that an Intel agent does not violate. Three rules to follow to the letter, with strict adherence to the details. You followed them because they were gold. They saved lives. They were universally recognized. Any first year Academy graduate knew them; they recited them every morning before tactical instruction drills and after trooper blindness tests:

1.) Do not respond when someone calls your real name.

2.) Do not go anywhere alone when being tailed.

3.) Under no circumstances acknowledge a fellow agent in the field.

_Perhaps it is a good thing they didn't allow me into the Academy. 2 happened the first day I came here and I'm about five seconds away from violating 3. Gods know when 1 will rear its ugly head._

Leia had not been widely considered a first-class politician for nothing: she had managed to keep evidence of her shock down to a pair of widening eyes and a slightly parted mouth. Were she in a position to criticize her performance at this point, she might have been very proud of this accomplishment.

Unfortunately, she wasn't in that position. And she now had another complication to a mission that had already spun completely out of control.

She was staring right at the real, genuine Rimmas Stribur, writing stylus in hand, appearing somewhat distressed with a slightly red look to the skin around her eyes and her lips narrow and colorless. The entirety of Lieutenant Stribur's clothing ensemble matched the somber look of her face, and Leia thickly wondered if something had happened to Stribur's nauseatingly colorful wardrobe. Wondered, that is, until she remembered that she had been helping herself to it for three weeks now.

A part of her found the reversal of their attire appropriately ironic.

The rest of her couldn't find anything positive about this situation whatsoever, other than the slightly disturbing half-excitement that the taller woman would no longer be in the extended presence of Captain Solo.

Throwing the thought in the mental trash compactor in which it deserved to reside, Leia lifted her chin and tried to discern Stribur's intentions through a quick stare.

She didn't have to wait long. "Oh, gods, Rimmas! I didn't know who to turn to and – " Stribur grabbed Leia by the shoulders and embraced her " – Jace told me where you were, and –" she sniffled as Leia smelled the slight tang of starship coolant on the dark wrap she wore " – and I'm sorry to interrupt you like this, Jace said you were on vacation, but this couldn't wait and I – "

Leia patted her back, completely bewildered but attempting to play along. "No, no apologies. What's wrong?"

Stribur lowered her arms and stepped back. "Oh, it was awful. Simply awful, Rimmas. I couldn't have written it better in my novel." She waved the stylus around as she dabbed her eyes with the sleeve of her tunic. "He left me for Shandre. Shandre! The ungrateful, little – " Stribur slid her eyes over Leia's shoulder and stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you were talking with someone else. I must apologize. My name is Meme, Meme Raur."

Leia turned to see Ivoen stretch her hand out. "Ivoen Sorreh. Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise." Stribur smiled brilliantly at Ivoen as they shook hands, then turned to Leia once again, visage darkening. "The low-down nerf! I_ knew _he was up to something. I knew it!" Her eyes narrowed as the stylus prodded Leia in the arm. "When I get my hands on him, I'll – "

"Meme." Leia took Stribur's arm and lifted her eyebrows as she turned to Ivoen. "Look, I'm sorry. I really should try and calm her down, before she – well, Meme's been known to do rather rash things before." She lowered her voice. "One time in prep school she stabbed a girl in the calf with her stylus for insulting her novel."

Ivoen eyed the now wailing Stribur. "Are you _serious_?"

"Of course. Meme found it all terribly funny. " Leia paused for a second, unsure whether continuing was the best course of action. "Er, look, Ivoen. What you said – "

Ivoen nodded toward Stribur, whose hands were now at her head as it rolled around on her neck in pseudo-agony. "I'm not dropping it. But it'll wait."

"Thanks."

"You owe me one, Rims. You owe me big time."

* * *

By the time Leia had found a safe spot, a considerable distance from any of the Sorrehs but still within the group, Stribur was chuckling and wiping her falsified tears away. 

"What?"

Stribur rolled her eyes and settled them on Leia as the two women sat. "I stab people? In the calf? With a _stylus_?" She snorted. "I'm trying to imagine how you made that one up."

Leia's mind flashed to the annoying curly-headed blonde in her Contemporary Concerns class. "I've been tempted to do it to someone for a week now._ What_ are you doing here?"

"Helping. Your Highness," she whispered the title. "While Han's been taking care of you, Luke and I have been keeping our eyes peeled. It's been tough; nothing on this planet is interesting at all. Except for GansCorp, 'course."

Leia ignored the warmth that ignited at the words _Han's been taking care of you_. "Did you know about the hibridium?"

"No. Thanks for that. We're running checks on import/export stats right now. So far, we've got nothing. So, we figured – me, Luke and Han – you'd need someone to keep the Sorrehs busy while you got more on the hibridium. Or vice-versa."

Leia blinked. "You're staying?"

"For tonight and tomorrow. I might stay after, keep checking up on it if we can't find anything about it before we leave." She looked up quickly. "Why? Does it bother you?"

"No." _Ivoen can't bring up the subject again if Stribur's here. _"No, it's a good idea. I need a distraction." Leia quickly regaled Ivoen's confrontation to Stribur, emphasizing Ivoen's worry for her safety. She sighed as she concluded. "Needless to say, you've got a great sense of timing, Lieutenant."

"Nah. Blame it on your boyfried." She brought her stylus up to her lips and interrupted Leia's indignant huff. "Hmm. If I were her, the first thing I'd think of would _not_ be "my roommate's the monarch of Alderaan and a political refugee", so I doubt you're in any danger of _that_. But, if you're right, and her dad isn't exactly on the good guy's side, it'd probably be better to assume that she's not trustworthy."

Leia nodded. "I agree."

"So what are you gonna tell her?"

Leia paused. "I was considering giving her every once of information I have about the mating rituals of Rodians."

Stribur blinked.

"Lieutenant, I'm kidding."

"No, I know, it's just – he's right."

Leia cocked an eyebrow. "Who's right?"

Half of Stribur's mouth quirked up into a slight grin. "He said it's been good for you, and I guess he knows what he's talking about. For once." She shook her head. "What are you _really _going to say? 'Cause I was thinking that it would be easiest to explain your weird behavior either on me or Han."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's like when you have a friend that's in bad trouble, and you try to get them out of it, but in the process you wind up getting yourself in too deep anyway?" She unclasped her hands. "All you'd have to say is that me or your boyfriend is kind of on the wrong side. You get the sympathy, we get the blame."

Leia raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't have a possibility of working."

"Look, I doubt she's thinking on the right track right now, anyway. People like her don't think in terms of spies and wars. They think the worst kind of trouble you can get into would be to steal a speeder or to take one too many drinks one night. That's it."

"This isn't going to work."

Stribur gave another semi-Solo grin. "Since when has that _ever _stopped you?"

* * *

"Han?" 

"Rims gave you the comm, I see."

"Right. Do I even want to know why you have comm equipment of this quality on the _Falcon_?"

"First of all, I _didn't _have it on the _Falcon._ We got some supplies from Command yesterday. Luke's giving 'em daily reports. They figured we could use some new toys."

"And second of all?"

A pause. "Didn't have a second of all. It just sounds more impressive to have more than one point."

Leia laughed. "Stribur's staying here to try and help me get Ivoen off my tail."

"Can't blame the girl. It's cute."

"What's cute?"

"Your tail. I could say some _very_ – "

Leia grinned in spite of herself. "Shutting up would be a good option for you right now."

"I haven't suddenly grown a common sense while you've been gone, sweetheart."

"Obviously."

There was a sound on Han's end that sounded suspiciously like gagging. It coincided with Stribur's rolled eyes and "end the conversation now" signal.

"Luke's telling me to get off. I hope." He paused. "Either that or we'll be short one blondeJedi on the return trip."

"Check in is at 1200 hours tomorrow."

"Can't wait."

"Me, neither."

A muffled groan as Luke expressed his feelings on the matter.

Han ignored the younger man. "Oh, oh, you can't wait to _hear my voice_. Wow, Princess, you've gotten soft in your old age."

"As soft as that mush we laughingly refer to as your brain?"

"Come on, there are better parts of me that you'd much rather refer to – "

"Just hang up, already!" Leia laughed at Luke's exasperated tone as she disconnected the comm and sat back, a slight smile on her lips. She stifled a laugh and sat up, ready to continue the discussion with Stribur.

"What?"

Stribur shook her head. "You're so obvious. Both of you." She turned to her purse, dug around to put the comm in the hidden pocket. "So. When she asks, we play nerf and say – "

* * *

"And you aren't a student at IE, Meme?" 

Leorime Sorreh was attempting conversation around the dinner rock his wife had thrown onto his plate – what Mrs. Sorreh termed a "roll", although Leia doubted the validity of calling it such. Feeling sympathetic to her daughter's roommate's former best friend's situation, Ivoen's mother felt a divine call to cook another delightful . . . _meal, I think she called it_ . . . and had invited "Meme" to partake of the monstrosity and a night with "the family". "Meme", for her part, was finding the whole ordeal both taxing and amusing, Leia could see, telling by the sheen of perspiration lining her hairline and the indulgent grin she flashed when both Rebels locked gazes.

"Oh, no, Sir. I never was the bookish sort." She cleared her throat. "Reading-wise. I _adore_ writing – my novel is nearly at seventeen chapters now! – but I can't sit still long enough to study _anything._"

"An athlete, then?"

"Oh, yes. A great deal. I play shockball when I have the chance."

A faint smile alighted Leorime's face. "Shockball is a personal favorite of mine."

"Really?" The look "Meme" gave Leia hinted at no coincidence in the matter whatsoever. "How fascinating."

"Oh, yes. Played center defense myself up through college. Injured my arm in a match my second year – "

"Oh, Dad, please." Ivoen's face was taut and her lips pressed into a thin line. "We don't _care_."

" – bloke completely shattered the bone. Was out for at least a week. Sat in bacta for an entire hour."

Leia tried not to smirk. "Meme" looked impressed. "That's completely illegal!"

She continued to listen to the exchange as "Meme" and Leorime slowly forged a connection based almost completely on the rules and referring of shockball. It was interesting, she thought, to see Lieutenant Stribur at work. She had physical tics that Leia found distracting – the sweat on her brow was evidence that the young Intel agent was less than experienced in this kind of high-stakes mission – but she was excelling in her endeavor to win over Mr. Sorreh and she thought quickly in a bind.

_It seems Stribur can hold her own. Perhaps I underestimated her. _

Leia nodded, pleased with the revelation as she surveyed the table once again, ready to jump back into the conversational foray. "Meme" and Leorime seemed to have left shockball and proceeded into her novel – and galactic literature in general – as Mrs. Sorreh nodded her head dumbly in an attempt to follow her husband's opinions on the loss of subtlety in modern work. Leia then gazed at Ivoen, who was not paying attention to the discussion at all, but was instead studying _her_.

_Okay, Organa. You've got some fast verbal footwork ahead of you. Better be on your guard. _

Leia smiled at her roommate and tuned into the conversation.

_It is going to be a long weekend. I can tell._

_

* * *

_

Happy Anniversary to me! Happy Anniversary to me! Happy One-Year Anniversary, KR! Happy Anniversary to me!

Reviews on my anniversary? Please?

KR


	18. Eighteen

**LL: **Okay. So, dear, you and I have dropped off the face of the earth. And Aladailey is ready to explode with impatience, and I figured I could alleviate some of that. Thus, the update. winkwinknudgenudge Actually, I take that back because such nudges and winks are annoying and you've probably had the semester from hell like I have. So. It's Christmastime and I'm in the spirit to celebrate. KR does a scary Xmas dance. Here's some party music, you do the same. :)

And I've gotten random as well.

Sigh.

I think its an inevitability that fanfic writers are random by nature. The more successful, the more random. (That doesn't bode well for you if _I'm _going insane. Think of what your enormous popularity will do to _you_.) So, enjoy the land of Oz, as I'm sure you've been rejoined by your family for the holidays, and a happy Christmas to you!

KR

**Aladailey: **Aladailey, dear, this chapter is dedicated to you for your inexhaustive efforts to get LL and I to update. I don't know about LL, but I appreciated reading your nags very much. Hee-hee. Thank you very much for the motivation to get back on this massive thingie here. :)

**Jillie Rose: **Ah, I appreciate all kinds of reviews. Long ones, short ones, skinny ones, fat ones . . . Thanks for the favorites add!

**Peach: **I'm glad you are enjoying this story. Thank you for reading!

**HSG: **Thanks for the anniversary wishes, HSG. Where have you been lately? I haven't seen you at PatS! Come back!

**Culf: **Poor Leia seems to be the consistent remark around here. :) Thanks for reading!

**Nebulia: **It was fun to write Rimmas as the neurotic author . . . because no one I know is a neurotic author . . . ahem. :)

**Summers2004: **Yeah, well, you know. I'm trying to make it funny and interesting, but it just wasn't coming . . . Thanks, anyway!

**GreatOne: **Thanks for the compliment, PT! Considering I've shirked on reviewing your stories lately . . . well, thanks for reading anyway!

**Reading Redhead: **It _was _fun to write, but I love writing psychotic characters. Even normal characters somehow come out psychotic, it seems, when I try to write them. :) Thanks for the kind review, I appreciate it!

**Ellina HOPE: **Well, the hope would be that none of this story would be cliche or overused. I'm glad to see that is hasn't been that way, yet. We'll see if that changes as the chapters roll on, hmm?

**Fair-Ithil: **Aw, well, thank you for the kind words. I do so appreciate them. Once I get this pesky plot thingie out of the way, I'll get working on the HL interaction. Thank you!

**Trout: **I love you. So, I posted chapter 18 of this thing, as awful as it is . . . when are you posting your smut? Or at least letting me read it? Actually, I still need to review two of your stories . . . never mind about the guilt trip. It doesn't apply if the guilter is more guilty than the guiltee. Hee-hee.

**SuP3R G1R: **Thank you!

**Solo Shodan: **Well, like I keep saying, I've had this whole big plot thing all worked out since I started posting it, and its on a white board and everything. Never mind that I keep changing my mind and all, but whatever. Thanks for understanding how much preplanning went into this story!

**Mirax Myra Terrik: **Well, I very nearly _did _do that this time, not updating and all, but I'm back! Woot! Thanks for continuing to read!

**Clare: **Ah, well, reviewing these reviews is making me feel incredibly guilty, but that's my fault. Thanks for the nag, it was needed and helped motivate me to get back in my writing chair. Thank you!

**Dimonah Tralon: **Thank you!

**QueenofAces: **Squeal! Queenie, you're another one I haven't seen around too much lately. Not that I myself have been around too much ... whatever. :) Thank you for reading, and I hope your Xmas break is a good one!

**TheZorpisuttle: **You know, this is one of those moments where I'd really wish I could say "Yes, I'm a brilliant author and what you smart people see in this story was completely intended." Except I'm too stupidly honest to say that and I end up looking likea complete idiot when I tell you that no, actually, the pun on Meme Rar's name is by accident. Purely by accident. Isn't it refreshing to know that the person responsible for this trainwreck of a story isn't actually as smart as she seems? Lol, thanks for the comments. Perhaps _you_ should write this story instead of me!

**Anna: **And this is my sheepish look. Well, its better later than never, right? Thanks for reading!

**Linnath: **I'm glad you like my sarcasm! It's kind of unconscious, really, so I'm glad you think it makes sense with the story. Thanks for reading!

**Ginny-Star: **I'm happy you think its so in-character! That's the best compliment to receive and I love getting it!

**Passivor: **Well, thank you. I appreciate the comment!

**Rana Ninque: **Ah, well, I can't speak for LL, but I'm updating as a Christmas present to my wonderful readers. Thank you for your interest and kind comments!

**dm1: **It isn't dead, just comatose for a bit. I've given it a shot of pure adrenalin, which has made it excited to be updated . . . I think I'm amusing, at least. :)

**Okay, people. Here I am, resplendent in all my guilt and shame, ready to present a new chapter of this really annoying story to you, my loyal readers. :) Thank you for all your kind comments and not-so-subtle hints to update (ahem, Aladailey, ahem). I'm still amazed that so many people are interested in this plotline. **

**I know this seems to be a terminal issue with Pink Nails, but this chapter doesn't seem quite up to par with my expectations. But, I reasoned, I haven't updated in nearly four months, and it's time to get the show on the road again. **

**So here we go. Unfinished, unbeta-ed, and quite late, chapter 18. **

* * *

Leia decided that things weren't going well right about the time the real Rimmas Stribur broke one of the red tracking earrings during breakfast the next morning.

The earring was merely the icing on the ryshcate. Earlier the previous evening, she'd herded "Meme" and Ivoen into her appointed quarters to get the dust settled and return Ivoen to her former status as blind, deaf, sickeningly cute, unbelievably naïve roommate. What had resulted was another barrage of questions and accusations that flew faster than the _Falcon _on a particularly green-lighted hyperdrive day.

Leia sat quietly and "Meme" fidgeted as Ivoen's voice rose in volume and fluctuated with her charges of spice peddling and slave trading, nexu race gambling and black market corporate stealing.

Amusing enough, treachery against the reigning galactic government was not among the allegations.

"If you would just _tell _me, I wouldn't be so angry." She huffed. "I'm not going to tell anyone and I might be able to help you get out of whatever it is you're into."

"No. If I tell you what's going on, you know what will happen?" Leia looked significantly at "Meme." "You'll get caught in it, too. And that is something I'm not willing to do."

"So I'm supposed to sit blindly by and just accept that you're doing something illegal without knowing what it is?"

"Yes."

"Blast it, Rims, that's ridiculous." She turned to "Meme." "You tell me, Meme Rar, or I'll go to my parents and get you arrested for whatever crime I decide you committed."

"Meme" put up her hands in a gesture of placation. "That's not something you'll want to do. Feds here aren't as corrupt as some planets. They'll check me out, and then Rimmas, and then who'll be next on the list?"

Ivoen shook her head. "This is insane."

"Yes, it is."

"We'll be stuck here all night if necessary until I get some kind of answer from the two of you." She stuck an index finger into Leia's face. "And don't give me that crap about how innocent I am. I can handle myself."

Leia looked at "Meme", who shrugged and gave a long, melodramatic sigh. "I don't know, Rims. Maybe we'd better tell her. It'd make life easier for you, at least."

Leia arched an eyebrow. "Fine, you do it. I'm not responsible if she goes crying to mummy and daddy."

Ivoen's indignant 'hey!' was ignored by the two Rebels. "Meme" sucked in a noisy breath and blew it out in a burst of falsified stress. "Okay. Er, Ivoen. It's like this." She waited until Ivoen looked fit to burst. "I started this business when Rims and I were in, what, secondary prep school?"

Leia nodded.

"And it became this enormous underground black market _thing_ that just exploded in our pre-graduating year."

Ivoen's eyes seemed to swallow up the top half of her face. "What did you sell?"

"_Do _sell. It's a lucrative industry."

Leia nodded again. "Meme here has enough time to fool around in the fiction market because of the profits."

"So - ?"

Leia looked at "Meme" who answered with a note of pride in her voice. "You are looking at the founder and manager of Industro Lights."

Ivoen's stare mutated into confusion. "Industro Lights?"

"Meme" raised an eyebrow at Ivoen. "Stimgum? Caf pills? All-nighter burstbars?" She looked over to Leia. "Apparently we're not as famous as we thought."

"She's not a local." Leia looked towards Ivoen. "Industro Lights is a small, local-based company trading not-so-legal stimulation concoctions, based primarily on a combination of caffeine and small mineral supplements."

"Er." Ivoen bowed her head. "How 'not-so-legal'?"

"Somewhere between lifting pieces of fruit from the local grocery store and genocide. Meaning – " "Meme" put a hand on Ivoen's shoulder and whispered in a way Leia was sure she'd seen in a few B-rated holofilms released a century ago. "We could get a ihefty/i fine should any unwanted feds get wind of it."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Leia's lips curled up in amusement. "Welcome to the ranks of black market drug trafficking. We hope your stay is a pleasant one."

* * *

The charming restaurant was a wash of dark hues, of blood red and dark brown and tiny drops of cream running together on the walls, highlighted by enormous gaudy chandeliers propelled near the high ceiling on hoverclips attached to the ends. Cutlery ranged in size, several pieced to one place setting arranged with grandiose hysteria next to a centerpiece bordering on the effervescent. Patrons were eyeing each other with barely contained jealousy and distaste, flashing rings and currency cards priced up in the millions for their neighbors to see.

_High society. Effluent, restrictive, and exclusive._

Leia sighed.

_It is so good to be home._

The deterrent to the picture was Ivoen, whose eyes were racing back and forth between her easily conversational parents, who, it seemed, fully intended to ignore their daughter, her roommate, and her roommate's friend as long as their wine flowed in excess and the conversation remained interesting. Ivoen had been quiet all evening as she absorbed the fantastic narration of Leia and the real Stribur. They had intended to reveal enough of their fictitious illegal ways to scare Ivoen off the trail, to cover their tracks and the mistakes Leia had made earlier.

It hadn't been as easy to convince Ivoen as "Meme" had anticipated, but not nearly as difficult as Leia had. Ivoen seemed primarily soothed by the explanations, even interested in obtaining a sample of stimcaf dinner mints "Meme" had offered, an interest she justified on the grounds of "finals week stress" and what she called her complete lack of study skills whatsoever.

Leia was sure this had all gone way too well considering her history and Ivoen's unnatural recollective abilities. But the alternative was to wear herself down worrying about hibridium and Leorime and the _Falcon_ – a concept that, for once, seemed unrealistic and stupid.

_I'm going to just sit here and pretend I'm as emotionally young as I biologically am._

"So, Rims, you've seen the new sheercoats, I'm assuming, right?"

Leia shook her head and reconnected to the conversation. "I'm sorry. Huh?"

"Meme" repeated her question. "The sheercoats. The ones I _told _you were the next big thing?" Leia nodded her head. "Well, Bartev is slaving away trying to get enough out for the Semsort holiday season."

"Are they now?"

"Absolutely. And you know what I was thinking, right?"

Leia looked over at Ivoen, a tired expression on her face. "If this thinking has anything to do with my bank account, you can forget it."

Ivoen brought her napkin to her mouth to cover her smile as "Meme" shook her head and continued on. "Hilarious. Actually, I was thinking that tomorrow would be a fabulous time to check out the Rivaucnev City branch and see how much they're overpricing them." She blinked twice and turned her attention to Ivoen. "Do you much care for Core fashion, Ivoen?"

"Not so much." She blushed. "I'm more of a 'wear whatever's clean' kind of girl."

"Well, that is a shame. Someday Rims will have to remedy that." "Meme" smiled. "Then you wouldn't mind if I stole your roommate tomorrow afternoon before we all head back to civilization?"

Leia looked at the Rimmas Stribur and raised an eyebrow.

_Huh. Well, the newbie certainly is on the ball there, isn't she?_

* * *

It wasn't until they'd gotten out past the sweeping shores of the ocean to the mainland that Stribur managed to comprehend the import of the red earrings.

"Tracking? Positioning tech in a thing that small?" She huffed a breath into the climate controlled air duct to her right as she navigated the Sorreh's speeder at a ridiculously slow pace. "Solo's got quite the mind on him."

"Except that now I've got no real reason to have only one earring on me. You broke the other this morning."

"Right. Well, I'm sure he'll be able to fix it or get you something else. You have the other one with you, right?"

Leia shook her head. "It's hidden in the bathroom next to the master bedroom. I kept it there to make sure the audio feed could be tapped again."

"We got comms." Stribur looked at Leia. "We can do this. Don't look so worried."

Leia arched an eyebrow at her. "Who's worried?"

* * *

Furacom's largest hibridium-mining operation turned out to be located nearly 1.5 hours away from the Sorreh's vacation home in Rivaucnev City, the drive made even more maddeningly slow because Stribur seemed unable to push the speeder past the limit of the continental law. Leia spent the entirety of the trip remembering why she despised Stribur's constant upbeat attitude and wishing, for once, that Han was around to speed up the trip. _His maniac obsession with speed would certainly come in handy right now. _

By the time the Sorreh's speeder pulled to a hasty stop, Leia had fallen into an off-and-on sleep. She awoke to Stribur's insistent pokes to her shoulder, waving off the Intel agent before she incurred bruises.

The speeder was nestled in the back of what appeared to be a large, sheltered grotto overrun with blue fungi and luminescent moss that changed periodically to liquid and solidified again as they watched. Leia coughed into the sudden headiness of environment, a feeling of drowned hysteria seeping into her head and running down through her fingers. The darkness was almost complete but for a sliver of light cracked through the ceiling, nearly a hundred meters over their heads.

She turned to Stribur. "Care to tell me how we managed to get sucked into a space slug while driving in a speeder onworld?"

"The core production facility is down below us. I didn't think we wanted to ring the doorbell and ask for a tour."

"How did we get in here?"

"Speeders have headlights. I turned 'em off after we got far enough into the cave to shelter Besti."

"Besti?"

"The speeder. She should have a name."

Leia shook the comment off, well aware of the strange custom some beings had to give names to unintelligent hunks of metal. "The mouth of the cave is which way?"

Stribur hopped out of the speeder and shouldered a pack stashed below her seat. "This way. C'mon. We've don't have a long time before we have to be heading back to the Sorreh's. They might miss Besti." She looked up from where she was tying her boot. "Well. You know. You too. They'd miss you, too. I didn't mean – "

"Shut up and start walking."

The cave was not nearly as long or narrow as Leia had estimated based on its darkness. It took them about a quarter of an hour to reach the mouth of the cave, climb its wooded sides, and peer over a rather large ravine situated at the bottom of a massive set of sandy hills. Deeply entrenched in the sand sat a tower of soft black cortisaltine spewing workers in rough yellow jumpsuits carrying long vibroaxes and pails of ocean water. The line of workers hunched over in tandem and marched over a large sand dune towards another dune, where a large pool of orange-painted mining drills worked a wall of mossy green rocks.

Leia watched them as they alternated groups, as the headmen cursed and swore at the yellow line of pathetic workers, as the ocean water drenched them and swept some off their feet. As a chunk of green was heaved off the top of the wall, tipped over the edge and dropping without grace onto the waiting sand, wet from the aggressive tide as it came in. As the new line of workers replaced the old, reaching over piles of rubble to swing the pickaxes and vibrotools into pressure points of the wall, the emerald pieces of hibridium flying, chips cascading down onto the yellow suits, a nauseating combination of life and fire.

"Well," Stribur's voice rang loudly in the stillness of their perch. "They're certainly working something. Is that our hibridium?"

"That's it." Leia grabbed a handful of rock with her left hand to steady herself as she pointed with her right. "The green there and there. That's the mine. It's then refined in _that _–" she huffed "– building there and packaged, I guess, for sale and sent."

"Offworld?"

"I have absolutely no idea. I've never heard of hibridium mining anywhere other than on Garos IV."

"Which was cordoned off five, six years ago."

"Two and a half, actually." Leia sighed. "The Empire put a multi-billion credit fund onto the mining of hibridium from Garos IV. It was requisitioned through the Senate before I was a member." She gripped her handful of rock more tightly. "My father and Garm bel Iblis were both concerned about the large expenditures early on, and made it a priority when the Rebellion was officially established to look into small cloaking device technology."

"What'd they find?"

"Nothing. And then Garos IV was blocked off and the race for small fighter cloaking devices was stopped by both the Rebellion and the Empire. Except – " she indicated the long line of yellow " – it seems someone is still looking into hibridium."

"Not good."

"Not good." Leia smiled at Stribur. "And _this _on top of the big shockball match next week _and _my chem term paper."

"Care to let go of your oh-so-stressful schedule and do some extreme sightseeing with intention to spy?"

Leia's grin widened. "Sure, seeing as how they look so hospitable and all . . . "

**

* * *

****Erm, hi? Review?****Ah, screw this. I'm going Christmas shopping . . . :)**

**KR**

**Edit: **Simone, from LiveJournal: I forgot to mention your wonderfully ego-boosting review under the reviewers. I am so sorry – I truly forgot. Your comment on LJ was so incredibly humbling and fortifying … I was rendered completely speechless as I read it. I thank you so much for your kind and gracious comments, which were entirely undeserved but nevertheless made my day/week/month. :) Again, I'm sorry … I hope you haven't read this chapter before I had a chance to edit it. I would feel terrible if you never read this. Have a wonderful holiday season and may your New Year be blessed and full of kept resolutions. :)


	19. Nineteen

**H'okay. So. Because we're kinda being pressured into keeping replies personal, I'm going to start replying to each review individually through email. If I read something amusing or fun, I might post it up here, but I'll ask you first, I promise. :) **

**So, starting with this round, you should be getting replies pretty soon after you review. If you do review. I'm smirking right now, because I know there are more people who I'd like to meet that read this story and don't review. (Nudge, nudge.)**

**And here's chapter nineteen! Enjoy.**

* * *

As Stribur and Leia made their way down the back slope of the ledge, Leia began to wonder what precisely she thought she was doing. The initial point of her mission to Itets-Enuzore had been to sign a deal with Ganscorp, a company of which her unexpected roommate's father was not only an employee but a board member. At this particular moment, however, she was sliding downhill to investigate a completely _different _company than the one she was assigned to with an Intel agent she was impersonating while on what was supposed to be a shopping trip between two old school friends.

_Did I do this? I don't think I did this. _She blew aside a strand of red hair that had stuck to the sweat on her face. _Actually, I'm fairly sure this is all Solo's fault. _

It was her backup thought, and it had served her well over the year she had known him.

"How're we doing this, then?" Stribur puffed out between breaths. "The finding out relevant stuff part, I mean."

"We look at all the cliché and boring ways to do it and pick the one that seems the most flavorful and interesting, okay?"

Stribur laughed, a squeak mixed with a pant and a grunt as her shoulder caught a particularly nasty edge. "Er, okay. 'cept I think boring and cliché have their uses. They're boring and cliché for a reason, eh?"

"Right. We could either try to do some incredibly flexible acrobatics and flip ourselves into that side window or one of us could try to seduce the foreman to let us in to copy sensitive files." Leia licked her lips as she struggled to remain right side up on the slope. "Either of those sound particularly appetizing to you?"

"Hmm. No."

"Thought not. In that case, I'd say distraction is the name of our game."

"What, er, what kind of distraction?"

Leia stopped her descent to look at Stribur. "I was thinking we could start singing the Corellian Spacer's theme and get a massive dance party going."

"Ah ha, see, I _am _getting better at reading you. I can at least tell when you're being sarcastic now."

Leia grinned as she resumed her awkward backwards-climb down the hill. "Mmm. Nice." She exhaled loudly as her foot found another purchase. "So what's it going to be? Acrobatics, seduction or distraction?"

* * *

"Oh, gods, please! I didn't – she's on the road. Did you - ?" 

The men in yellow passed her with alarm in their eyes as the man behind the desk turned his head and gave a snort of boredom. "Can I _help _you?"

Leia swiped a hand across her brow as she rushed to the desk and smeared a long streak of dirt onto the top of it. "Yes, sir, my friend. She's – oh, gods – she's out there."

He stood up with obvious hesitation, shaking his head to clear his eyes of his long, golden hair. "What were the both of you doing here in the first place? _Ma'am_."

"Please, sir, it's a long story and she may need medical attention – I'm not sure. I just, she flipped over and fell, I think, and I, and I-I – "

"You're sure it's an emergency?"

"Well, yes, maybe, I just, _help_ her, please." Leia steadied herself with the counter, using its support to lift her upper body. "Please."

With a moan of protest and a loud exhalation, the desk manager moved around the desk and strode past Leia as she collected herself and double-clicked her comm.

"Why you women have to be so _dependent_ is far beyond me, you whining, manipulative, money-grubbing –"

_You stupid, slimy, egotistical, son of a – _

"Where did you say your friend was?"

"Oh – up around this building. Maybe we should call somebody or something, she seemed so hurt – "

He turned to look at her, eyes squinting. "I can _handle _this. There is no need to waste anyone else's time. You're already wasting a great deal of mine."

_Nerfherding, idiotic –_

"Well, I am so _sorry_, sir, to waste your … gods, she was supposed to be right over there." Leia pointed at a far building, a break station, it appeared, for the manual laborers. "That green thing over there."

He was silent as he approached the building, and Leia reached behind her into her pack and followed him as he made a complete circuit around the shanty. He turned with a heavy breath, mouth open and eyes squinted, then took a step back and reached his hands up behind his head.

"Hi," Leia smiled as she closed one eye to aim the holdout blaster at the man's forehead. "Unless you have a serious desire to get a bolt of pretty complicated super-heat put through your thick skull, I suggest you keep it down." She winked. "For the sake of fun and all."

He nodded.

"I have no real aspiration to kill anyone today. It's been decently good, today has, and I'd be much appreciative if it would stay that way. _Prembli?_"

He looked up quickly, eyes widening. "Old Corellian?"

"Well, I picked up a few phrases from a friend of mine. Colorful phrases, too. I'm sure I could say some terrible things about your mother if I thought hard enough." Leia nodded to the man. "You seem surprised."

"How did you know I was Corellian?"

Leia reached back again to her pack and retrieved a palm-sized metal disc. "You look it. Tall, dark, handsome – " she pressed the disc to the man's neck and stepped back as he fell " – and _completely_ dense."

She watched as his eyelids fluttered closed and his breathing became steady and slow, then grabbed him under the arms and strained to pull him into the shanty. After five minutes of slow and languorous hauling, she managed to dump the man onto the table in the shanty, then searched through a few cupboards and shelves. She moved over to the other side, where five backpacks were lined up, dirty and sandy all of them, and rifled through them, flinging rags and holozines around.

"Yes – " Leia pulled her prize free of the third pack she searched, a nearly full bottle of cheap whiskey, moved over to the table, and dowsed the man's clothes and hair with the amber liquid, situating the bottle in the crook of his right arm.

Standing back, she surveyed her work. _Fine work, if I do say so myself._ She smirked. _I don't know why no one consults me about pranks on base. _

She restashed her blaster and the tranquilizer, fresh from Stribur's "packed lunch" weapon's stash she'd discovered early on the way here, opened the shanty door, checked to make sure no one was around, and crept towards their hideout and meeting spot.

* * *

After nearly fifteen minutes without any sign of success or failure, Leia began to panic. 

"Graduate, come in. Come in, Graduate." Pause. "Graduate, do you copy?" Pause. "Come in. Do you read?"

Leia sighed and lowered her comm to her side.

_Where is she?_

* * *

Another five minutes passed by.

* * *

When Stribur was twenty minutes late to their rendevous, Leia resorted to outside assistance.

"Nerfherder, do you copy?"

A scrambled burst of vocalizations broke through, then a _snap_ and a clear connection was created. "I copy, Monarch. What's up?"

"Graduate isn't answering her comm. I lost her sometime between 1100 and 1200 while she went for the main objective."

There was a pause and an exhalation of breath. "Where was she?"

"Not a safe question to ask, Nerfherder."

"Right. Scrambling frequency. Hang on a sec."

_If I went in through that side window, maybe I could see …_

"Okay. Where was she, Monarch?"

"At the foot of the hill. About thirty yards away from where I am now."

Another pause, then a sharper, harder voice issued out of her comm. "I want you out of there."

She tilted her head in annoyance. "And leave her there? I can't do that."

"I'm coming to check it out, but I won't be able to concentrate if you're still in the red, alright, Monarch?"

"But – "

"For once, just do what I tell you to do."

Leia shook her head as if he could see her. "I am not_ leaving_ her!"

"You leave now, or I'm going to take my ship and pull you out of this ridiculous situation entirely. I've had it with this planet and I'm tired of watching you pull stupid stunts for some data or info or whatever that may or may not be useful to anyone, much less worth your life."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me." His voice dropped into a mildly threatening tone.

_If I leave now, I can get back to the Sorreh's before they leave. And if he really is coming – _

She sighed in defeat. "You're coming?"

"The minute I know you're leaving."

_I'm leaving Stribur. I'm leaving her –_

"Yeah. On my way. Move fast."

* * *

"Back to class. Back to class and professors and tests and papers and those annoying blonde models walking around with the long legs and the perfect skin." Ivoen swept her hair around in the wind, watched the splay gulls as they flew overhead. 

Leia didn't look at her. "They don't have perfect skin, Ivoen." _Stribur should have been picked up already, if he left when he said he would._

"Yeah, they do. You know those Filian Boxic Plants? Arni's dad brought her three to set up on her windowsill."

_He'll comm, right?_

_I shouldn't have left her._

_She's captured, it was a trap, Vader's got her on the scan grid – _

" – Rims?"

"Hmm, what?"

"Where were you just now?" Ivoen gave a slight smile, the first Leia had seen directed her way since the "drug ring" explanation. "You looked like you were a thousand kilometers away."

Leia smiled, freshly distracted from her ruminations. "Just tired, I guess."

They resumed the normal chatting as the speeder cruised away from Rivaucnev City, the winds battering their progress back to Itets-Enuzore. Leia spent most of the drive either smoothing over relations between her roommate and her roommate's parents as mother and daughter argued politely over matters of style and personal taste or staring out the transpasteel window as the ocean sped away from them and the sun hid itself behind massing fogs of passing clouds. The bursts of warmth that rained down on them when the sun proved victorious against the blanket of clouds was enough to remind her that Han was on his way to get Stribur, that Han had never actually failed her, that the situation was under control because he was involved in it.

_That _thought in itself was frightening enough to give her pause.

Only when she heard the three-toned incoming call notification did she loosen her grip on the speeder's handrest.

"Jace. Have you found my compact yet?"

"No. Haven't seen it." He paused, then continued in a slightly brighter tone of voice. "Looked everywhere for it and thought maybe I'd get to it before you got back to school, but it looks like its hiding."

_Dammit. Just what I need. Another reason to feel guilty._

"Good news, though. It's not broken like we thought it might be."

Leia brought her head up in surprise. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. And I think I found your old datapad while I was looking for your compact."

_My what?_

_"_I'll let you know if it is for sure once I've opened it to see if it's yours."

_But, Stribur – _

"I'll find your compact. Don't worry about it. Just concentrate on school. It'll be fine."

Leia sighed. "Okay. Well, thanks for checking."

"Yeah. Anything for you, Sweetheart."

Leia's mind blanked at his words. "Uh, yeah. Talk to you later," she bit out. _He decides to be gentlemanly _now?

She shook her head and continued to study the departing coast, focused entirely on the Stribur situation and not on Ivoen, even as she continued to talk to Leia in an ongoing rant about self-centered music critics with no imagination.

_What just happened here today?_

_What happened to Stribur? Why does Han think she's hiding? And what is she hiding from in the first place?_

Leia sighed and brought a hand to her temple.

_Stribur's gone, we've got no information regarding the hibridium, and I have about three hundred text documents to read for psych. _

_Am I done with this college-student-spy-infiltrator thing yet?_

* * *

Okay, people. Here's the deal. I went shopping today and praise wasn't on sale. Well, not the name brand. The knock-off was there, but I can always tell the difference. It might be the aspertame. Whatever. The point is, I need y'all to give me praise or criticism because I'm a bit low on both lately. :) Si? Okay. Awesome. 


	20. Twenty

So, ah, just so you know, I'm updating. Yeah. Sheepishly updating.

The only thing about this update is that it's a setup for a fun chapter 21. But it was necessary. So, you know, don't get mad at me. :)

And even though this is about five days later than the deadline Ala gave me, it's done. Okay, Aladailey? I tried. No, really. I did. Yay!

Enough with the pleasantries and apologies. On to chapter 20!_

* * *

__- Lieutenant Skywalker to Harvest Base._

_- Harvest Base to Lieutenant Skywalker. What is your status?_

_- My group is intact and still deployed. _

_- The original parameters of your command?_

_- Three weeks ago, Lieutenant Rimmas Stribur, Princess Organa, Captain Solo, and I departed base for Itets-Enuzore to drop off Lieutenant Stribur to her new post as Intel agent at the University and fly the Princess to an important arms deal with GansCorp. During the deployment, Princess Organa was compromised and hid in the university under the alias of Lieutenant Stribur to escape her shadow. She discovered that Lieutenant Stribur's roommate, Ivoen Sorreh, is the daughter of a board member of GansCorp, and has been attempting to negotiate a treaty with GansCorp while maintaining her cover._

_- Any new developments since your last report?_

_- Yes, sir. The Princess discovered the existence of a Hibridium mine on Itets-Enuzore._

_- Hibridium? As in cloaking device technology?_

_- Yes. Lieutenant Stribur was also captured briefly near the mine and is now en route to base. She left yesterday._

_- Lieutenant Stribur is off-planet, then._

_- Yes, sir. The Princess doesn't know that she is safe._

_- Final question, Lieutenant. Has there been any significant change in the status of the relationship between Captain Solo and Princess Organa?_

_- Shut up, Antilles. _

* * *

Leia found the new, festive air at the university nauseating. Peering out her window the night she and Ivoen had returned from Rivaucnev City, Leia was baffled to find legions of students outside in the open grasses throwing blue and gold balls in the air in an attempt to hit each other with them. She wasn't sure, but the goal of the game seemed to be to add more and more bodies to the growing heap of the concussed without actually killing them. 

Since that night, she'd noticed a plethora of strange activities. Enormous bonfires were set up in the courtyards, the alcohol consumption increased nearly tenfold, and parades ran nightly through the dorm floors, complete with badly played instruments and the near-nudity of the cheerleaders, a race of beings Leia had hoped she'd never have the misfortune to meet.

This was, as she'd been told by Blonde Floormate Number 52, the opening of the university smashball season, which would be, most certainly, the highlight of Rimmas' life and the very reason she had come to Itets-Enuzore.

She also mentioned something about_ adorable_ center halfmen, cheap alcohol and the mystifying power of tanned biceps, etc, etc. Leia really wasn't listening.

But the spirit everyone had been so enthusiastically demonstrating wasn'tas easy to ignore as Blonde Floormate Number 52. The entire campus seemed to morph before her eyes. What had before appeared to Leia to be a studious indifference to all things except alcohol became an all-out assault on the school rival, the University of Adumar, and an unimagined, and heretofore unseen, school spirit.

The switch was conflicting with what Leia herself was feeling. With the disappearance of the real Stribur, Leia was finding it difficult to concentrate on anything except her own guilt and responsibility for the girl's absence. Between this guilt and the very cryptic compact Han had mentioned, Leia was sure she couldn't possibly get into the long, drawn-out process of acting the carefree post-adolescent.

Not that she'd _ever _been particularly keen on doing it. Ever.

Still, the idea of another drinkfest or the claustrophobic feeling of people dancing too close for even a Twi'lek's comfort made her ready to skimp out and join the Dejarik Club's ranks.

"It has come to my attention – " she jerked awake " – that a great many of you will be celebrating the smashball season opener nearly five days before the game actually commences," Professor Lingni was saying. Leia had momentarily forgotten she had been sitting in psychology. "And while normally I would expect an even greater dip in the quality of the crap you all hand in, I've decided not to care. We've got Nemsba as a starting halfman, and I'd rather watch him drink café on the court than read any of – " he waved towards the stack of papers " – that."

"So, like, no homework?"

"Are you in some way mistaking my intentions, Miss Blaudio? I'm informing you to not to expect any grading to occur in the near future. Your papers will serve as my placemat for a few extra weeks, that's all." He gestured to the far wall and gathered his things, the sign to leave before he remembered to punish someone for breathing incorrectly.

_At least some people will never change._

* * *

"This is_ the_ year!" The Devaronian was shouting as Leia walked past him towards the cafeteria. "We will _cream_ the Adumari this year! _Murderize! _Is everyone _with _me?" 

The answering roar was load enough to force Leia to cover her ears.

* * *

While heading towards her sociological survey class, Leia was rather shocked to see a group of about eight beings, of various species, running full hilt through the main quad. Sans clothes. 

She vowed, for the billionth time, to get out of the university as soon as possible.

Either that, or begin to understand her own generation.

* * *

"Hey. Where's your school spirit, Rims?" 

Leia looked down at her own clothes, a mix of red and purple and black lace, and then took in her companion's attire, an energetic display of blue and gold, complete with gold and blue strands entwined in the other's normally brunette hair.

"You know, Kristeh, I think I forgot to buy face paint yesterday."

* * *

Every holoset she came across had the face of an overtanned, underbrained idiot on it, with the caption "Arik Nemsba. What _won't _he do for you?" 

Leia just sighed and hurried back to her dorm to avoid the five different mascots that appeared to have been following her all day.

* * *

"Are you _sure _you won't bring him?" 

Leia sighed and turned toward her roommate, calmly remembering that barking out a dismissal was not an option here. "He's not coming. It's final."

"Okay, cool, but Rims, _everyone _will be there."

"And when did I start to care about that?"

Leia had a point and Ivoen knew it. "Yeah." Ivoen grabbed her bag and swung it over a shoulder. "Yeah, I know, but I think _I _care."

"You think you care?"

Ivoen suddenly seemed to find the floor fascinating.

"Ivoen?"

Ivoen looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Have you _taken_ a look at your boyfriend, lately?"

Leia rolled her eyes. "Sithspit. This wouldn't by any chance involve you becoming, er, _cooler_ by default because of my boyfriend, would it?"

"Only … to the very sharp eye."

Leia shook her head. "You'll have to work harder than that, Ms. Sorreh, to manipulate _me_."

"You brought him to the frat party. What can this hurt?"

"My already fragile ego."

"Besides that. And no one cares about your already fragile ego."

Leia's comm beeped.

"We'll discuss this later." She glared at Ivoen as she answered. "Hello?"

"Rims."

"Jace." She waved down Ivoen's suddenly wild arm convulsions. "How are you?"

"Just checking in. Haven't heard from you in awhile."

"Good. Hey, I'm cool, according to Ivoen, because of you." Leia turned away from Ivoen's frantic exultations. "Did you know that?"

"She there?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Tell her I love her and will pick her up at nine."

Leia pulled a face. "Hilarious, Jace. Funny."

"Yeah. I know." She started to picture the smile … and let herself enjoy it. "Hey, I do know something about Meme, though."

Leia's ears perked up. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. You know how she left after you guys went to Rivaucnev City? Turns out her speeder broke down just a few kilometers from where she left you. She hitched a ride back home. Kinda shook up about it."

"Great." _Thank all the Alderaani gods…_

"Yeah." A garbled sound, then: "And my brother says 'hi.'"

"Tell him 'hi."

"Yeah, well, he's driving me crazy with the weather wet and all. I'm tempted to lock him out next time he goes out for groceries or something."

_You're so mean to Luke, Han. _"I believe it – wait, Ivoen!"

And then Ivoen had Leia's comm in her right hand andLeia began to get a really bad feeling about the situation at hand.

"Hello, Jace. Okay, so, I need you to do me a huge social ladder-climbing favor-thing. Can you be here on game night to take Rims to the kickoff?"

Pause. "Isn't Nemsba starting this season?"

_Han! _"Jace!"

"I don't know, but I need Rims to be there. With you. So I can be semi-cool. Or whatever."

Ivoen tossed Leia's comm back to her, then stepped out of the room with a smile that was a bitsneakier than Leia ever wanted to see on her roommate's face.

"Sorry about that, Jace. Ivoen's acting … weird." _Although, granted, I've seen worse this week._

"What the hell's the matter with her?"

"She just a bit exuberant. About – I don't know. I'll talk to you more about it later."

"Okay, fine. So I'll see you in two days."

_What! _"No. No, no, no, no. No way."

"Think I'll let Kiel tag along, too, hook him up with some female company."

"No." _I am not dragging Luke into this!_

"Alright. So game day it is. I'll bring your compact, too."

"I swear, Jace, I'm going to – "

The comm. went dead as his laugh burst through.

* * *

Tada! The miraculous reappearance of Pink Nails! Reviews are always, always welcome ... and, ahem, speed up the writing process a bit, just so you know ...


	21. Twenty One

Ah, friends. I'm happy to say that I've had a burst of creativity. Almost exactly half of this post was written two months ago, but I needed a few nudges from real-life people (one who reads this and one who doesn't), cyber-people (despite the death threats), and the resurrection of one particular longstanding favorite fic of mine to get the last half written and voila! Post completed. And I'm actually excited to post it. I've been waiting to post this particular post for awhile now.

(Evil cackle)

So, here you go. Chapter 21, ironically with no mention of alcohol at all … but an amusing self-correcting mistake from the past chapter. :)

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When the knock came, Leia was seriously considering taking a match and setting her hair, fake and otherwise, on fire. Ripping the giant mess out would require a higher pain threshold than she could support at the moment; she decided that the straightening, and then curling, and then the product, and then more of the product, and then the touch up was really a stupid way for anyone, male or female or anything in between, to prepare him-, her- or itself for a _not_-date that did not include a man Leia found exceedingly handsome when his foot was removed from his mouth.

Because it was not a date. Not really.

Technically, it was their second _not_-date.

By the time the knock sounded, most of the hall was clear. Fifteen minutes ago, it was like another world. The situation resembled more the commencement of a battle campaign than the hallway of a dormitory where residents were not allowed candles or ion cannons. Attempting to hunt down a pink sash she had loaned to … what the hell, they all looked the same anyway … Leia had come across not one, not two, not three, but twenty-five rooms chock full of girls preparing themselves for their respective kickoff dates. Hot curling utensils were being volleyed across the open spaces, eye makeup skimmed the floor. The air was heavy, not with the souls of fallen soldiers, but the mustiness of powdered makeup and concoctions of hair stabilizing products.

It was a thicker smell than that of a battlefield, Leia thought.

By the time the knock came, the hall had cleared up. The whole procedure had occurred faster than Leia could pronounce her own name. At one minute to seventeen hundred hours, doors were open and the sounds of floormates barking orders to each other could be heard above the virtuosic rhapsody of hair-drying droids. Then she heard the sounds of twenty-five doors slamming shut at nearly the same moment.

Apparently, every date on campus was arriving at seventeen hundred hours.

When the knock sounded, Ivoen had squealed and thrown her comforter over Stribur's various beauty appliances and products with which she'd been mortally engaged for the past two hours, then sat on the mess with an _oof_ and crossed her legs politely at the ankle. Leia had glared at her and opened the door.

"Hey," Han bent and kissed her cheek, then continued into her room like he'd lived in the place himself before she moved in.

She moved to close the door, when a second face popped into her view and a hand grabbed her elbow. She was about to shove it off – dealing with would-be "partners" here had become a daily chore for her – when she took a better look at the blue eyes and the blonde bangs that fell into them.

She pushed Luke into the hall, closed the door, silently prayed that Han wouldn't do something stupid with Ivoen in the room, and leaned in close to him.

"I thought he was kidding."

Luke's eyes rolled. "Me, too."

"Aren't we being a bit careless here? Me alone is risky enough. The three of us out together is like … something really bad."

"Tell me about it," Luke blew hair out of his eyes. "Except I think I called it 'stupid."

"Then why are you _here_?"

"Because your boyfriend decided to change the codes on his ship so I couldn't get back in once he made me leave it."

She blew out a breath. "Okay. So we just need to get you back so you can override it."

"Override it? With what, my fingernail?"

"Come on. You can do _anything_, Luke. I've seen you hotwire speeders and reprogram them in less than ten minutes."

"Number one – " he ticked off a finger " – that was both a prank and a dare. Number two, I had the Rogues' hydrospanner and enough rations to forge a decent electrical conductor. And three, Han's always been a better programmer than me, and I doubt I can access anything he wouldn't want me to."

"Which leaves you here –"

"As the third wheel, yeah."

Leia huffed and crossed her arms, ready to pick a fight with her _not_-boyfriend, when a slightly Han-ish thought came to her.

"If you can't beat him, Luke – "

"Leia –"

She threw her farmboy a smile, then opened the door and pushed Han out of the way to get a clear line of sight to Ivoen.

"Ivoen, I'd like you to meet your kickoff date, Kiel Lee. Kiel – " she tugged on Luke's hand_ hard_ " – meet Ivoen Sorreh, your date for the evening."

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Leia had decided that these really strange and at times superfluous missions for the Alliance had their uses. Besides the inherently pleasing pastime of, say, wearing Han Solo's nerfhide jacket or experiencing what had to be some of the most idiotic amusements known to sentient culture, she could engage in the fine art of watching Luke Skywalker fail miserably in an actual date scenario.

It was truly spectacular.

At dinner, Luke had not only accidentally spilled a glass of water on Ivoen's favorite skirt and suffered from a sort of eye blinking phenomena that left him unable to see out of one eye, he had also made a curious habit of mentioning water whenever his end of the conversation turned dull or disinteresting. Ivoen did an admirable job of nodding and adding in small talk when Luke reiterated his appreciation for her spoiled skirt, but Leia could tell that she, too, was nervous. Her voice fluctuated with the effort of controlling its pitch, so that at times she spoke in the voice of a six-year old Falleen and others like that of a one hundred and sixteen year old Rodian.

And Han and she appreciated it all immensely.

They were seated in a small diner less than a kilometer from the campus. The restaurant, while aimed for the middle-class, was themed like a safer, cleaner dive from Coruscant, complete with large, sweeping bar and short-skirted waitress that did more flitting than walking and called their customers "honey." The lamps were barely lit and the atmosphere seemed musty – less because of bad housekeeping and more because the air filtered through the place seemed recycled and bereft of energy. Nonetheless, the meal had been decent, if only because Luke and Ivoen ceased their conversation, and because the Coruscanti breadcake was much better here than at the university cafeteria.

"So, um, Rimmas, how long have you known Kiel?"

The question from Ivoen was unexpected, if only because Leia had been under the impression that Ivoen didn't want to speak to her again. Ever. "Well, actually, as long as I've known Jace."

Han shook his head. "A bit earlier, actually."

"It's true," Luke chimed in, apparently eager to participate in a decent conversation. "I ran into Rims, introduced her to Jace, and, you know, it kind of went on from there."

"You went after his brother?" Ivoen's eyes glinted. "How cruel."

"Well, no. I, uh – " Leia turned toward Han for assistance. " – I didn't really go after anyone, so. Yeah. Are we all set to go here?"

"No, no. I think Ivoen deserves to hear the full story." Han was smirking and Leia was hating it.

Luke grinned. "Absolutely."

Leia sat back, let the two of them win for once, and tried to be gracious because Ivoen and Luke were starting to relax.

"It all started when Kiel started to follow Rims around when she went on shopping trips and casino runs – "

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"Do you think Kiel likes me at all?"

Ivoen was poised in front of the mirror in the public stadium freshers as she asked the question, but turned towards Leia when she didn't answer the question.

"Of course he does." Leia reapplied her lip makeup for the third time that night. "He's just a little – young, you know."

"How old is he?"

Leia looked up. "Well, uh, nineteen. But he's more sheltered than Jace is and way more conservative."

"Obviously." Ivoen tried to tame down her slightly-frizzed hair. "They don't act anything alike. It's almost impossible to believe they're brothers."

"Yeah." _Touché. _"Yeah, right."

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Leia had watched smashball. Once. Before Bail had banned it from sheer disgust and a fear that his only daughter would be influenced by the uncensored violence the game inevitably espoused.

She had liked it.

She had liked it a lot.

Watching it now, live, next to Han, Luke, and Ivoen, the experience seemed to have changed. The one time she had watched it, the commentator's remarks had drowned out the other … noise.

If by noise, one meant the profanity slipping out of Han Solo's mouth.

She knew males of her species tended to enjoy contact sports of all kinds, but had never had the pleasure of experiencing it firsthand. The court, a smallish mass of yellow at the center of seventy rings of spectators, was almost completely hidden beneath the blurs that Leia was tempted to call the teams, although she wasn't sure who was who or what was even supposed to be happening. She was getting the general feel of the score by Han's comments, which, by his opinion, was achieved despite the Adumari's rather blatant disregard of the rules and a one-sided interpretation of the foul calls.

Or something.

From Han she expected this behavior. It was a safe bet that the most reckless man she knew would be as careless about his language at a smashball game as he was about illegal supply runs for the Rebellion.

What was surprising was the level of language coming from the posterboy of the Rebellion.

Now, granted, Luke's language was not nearly as … creative … as Han's. But she was sure she'd heard a few curses coming from her left, and what sounded to her like some colloquial Huttese, which, by its very nature, was bound to be vulgar.

She filed the apparent proficiency in Huttese away as something to investigate later.

Despite her companions' attempts to insult everything on, or off, the court, she could call their behavior conservative in the midst of the general chaos inside the stadium. Blue and gold flags waved throughout the rings, and various sets of small explosives had detonated inside the building as a means of distracting the players, which, unfortunately, worked more often than not and prompted the expulsion of nearly fifteen separate people from the game. And the general uproar always centered on the surprisingly talented Arik Nemsba. If Leia was correct, Nemsba, number twenty-two, had scored two of the three goals thus far, and had managed to remove an article of his clothing with each succeeding goal his team made.

At this point, he still had, Leia guessed, three more goals to go before he would be down to boxers and helmet. Not that she was complaining.

Best keep that thought to herself, she decided, sneaking a glance at Han.

Then she reconsidered. It was only their second date.

Second _not_-date.

Not enough for him to get possessive.

That is, if _not_-dates worked the way regular dates did.

She was beginning to have problems telling the difference.

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"I am not going back there."

Han and Ivoen were both staring straight at her, with Ivoen's attempt at innocence looking much more authentic than Han's.

"Rims, _please._" Ivoen's voice sounded like it could cut through durasteel. "Let's go."

"I had fun," Han added.

"Of course you did. If you two want to go, go."

Ivoen's face perked up, ecstatic, Leia was certain, in the prospect of going to a frat party with Han on her arm. Han, on the other hand, looked less enthused to be leaving with Ivoen.

He shook his head and grabbed her hand. "The things I give up for you, sweetheart ..." He pulled on her hand to follow him, taking her further away from Luke and Ivoen. Leia spared a glance toward the reluctant pair, held up her other hand for them to wait, and turned around toward Han. She followed him as he pulled her around a building – the library, she thought – and saw him stick out two fingers in front of her face.

"Two things," he said.

Leia nodded.

"Okay, first – " he breathed, grabbed her face and kissed her.

Leia wasn't sure what exactly he thought he was doing, kissing her in the middle of a public place – or something like it, seeing how it was the library and no one ever voluntary went anywhere near it – and being so damn good at it. His hands were cold – _freezing _– and she was shaking, though she was entirely certain it had nothing to do with the weather. Her hands latched onto his forearms, attempting to stabilize herself and bring him closer to her. He stepped forward, moving his head, and Leia was aware that she had sighed somewhere in the mix, but it felt too good to be this close to him and she closed her eyes and felt herself drowning.

When he stopped, he didn't move his head away and hadn't dropped his hands. She looked up at him; he opened his eyes and grinned at her. She wasn't exactly sure how she was supposed to respond to his first request, thinking that whatever he had planned for number two was pretty much a given, considering what she was currently feeling, but he stepped back and reached into his pocket with one hand.

Leia was back to feeling cold.

"And two – " he rummaged around in his pocket for a second, frowned. If Leia had found her voice yet, she might have made a comment about being distracted, but it had decided to evaporate with every gram of common sense she had to her name.

"I found this at the hibridium complex," he grunted, and started checking the pockets in his shirt. "I know it's here."

"This is my datapad? Or my compact? You kept switching names."

"Your earring …"

"My – what?"

"One of your earrings, the tracking ones. It's – ah. Here."

He pulled out a flash of metal, and Leia's chest suddenly shrank. The earring was disassembled, or at least the top half of it was, and the hook had been misshaped.

Her mind flew through the possibilities, denied some of the more ridiculous ones, but finding it difficult to subside the panic that was piling on her shoulders the more she thought about it. She resumed her shaking and her breathing started to go haywire, sputtering through her lips – which had been dancing just a few seconds before – and making her feel like she was suffocating.

"Are you alright?"

She shook her head and rummaged through her purse, grappling around.

"No. Here," she held out the matching red earring, fully assembled and the red shining in the streetlamp light. "Do you see this?"

Han nodded, confused. "Yeah?"

"_This _is the one I'm supposed to have. _That _one – " she breathed carefully, then peeked around the edge of the library building, eyeing Luke and Ivoen as they chatted.

"_That _one was left at the Sorreh's house, hacked into the communications system."

Han's forehead creased. "Okay."

Leia put a hand to her mouth, imagined the walls creeping in on her, felt Vader breathing subsume hers, felt her chest shrink again, her heart pounding, all of her _screaming _to get out of there as fast as possible.

"We have to get out of here." She dropped her hand, grabbed his arm. "Now. We have to get out of here right _now_."

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KR does small, little, tiny unglorious dance at the thought of _finally _reaching a very _fun _plot point that she's been dying to post since she first thought, "You know, Leia in college sounds like a fun thing to write"…

So, feedback? Por favor? Pajalsta? _Please?_


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